APPA President Angela Falkenberg explores how sparking joy in the classroom translates to better problem-solving and deeper engagement with content for students – and they’ll retain what they learn, for longer.
Teaching is a dynamic, and ever-evolving profession, where curriculum and pedagogy are continually refined to meet the unique needs of every learner. Yet, at the heart of this work, the inclusion of joy and fun must remain a ‘north star’ to ensure learning, and working in schools is effective, motivating, and sustainable.
When students experience joy and fun their brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with motivation and focus. This biochemical response not only increases engagement but also enhances cognitive functions such as memory and attention, making the learning process more effective. Teachers who experience joy in their work also benefit from a boost in motivation and mood, contributing to role satisfaction and job retention.
Fun also plays a crucial role in reducing stress for both students and teachers by lowering cortisol levels. This helps individuals concentrate better, think more clearly, and maintain a calm, focused demeanour, especially in challenging situations. In this relaxed state, both students and teachers are more open to exploration, creativity, and collaboration, allowing for greater flexibility in problem-solving and more effective responses to challenges.
Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory underscores the power of positive emotions, such as joy, in enhancing cognitive and emotional capacity. According to Fredrickson, positive emotions like joy, expand individuals’ thought-action repertoires, encouraging more creative and flexible thinking. (In one of her experiments, people experiencing increased positive emotions found more uses for a brick!) For students, this means better problem-solving and deeper engagement with content. For teachers, it translates to enhanced adaptability, resilience, and the ability to innovate in their teaching approaches. Over time, these positive emotional experiences help both students and teachers build valuable personal and professional resources, including cognitive skills, social connections, and emotional resilience, all of which contribute to more effective learning and teaching outcomes.
In addition to these cognitive benefits, joy and fun promote long-term retention of information. When learning is enjoyable, both students and teachers are more likely to remember the material and the experiences associated with it. Reflection on our own memorable learning experiences often reveal that joy and fun were key components.
Fun also fosters the development of essential social skills such as communication, teamwork, and empathy, which are critical for success in the classroom and beyond. By cultivating these skills, students can form deeper, more meaningful relationships with their peers, teachers, and families, which are integral to their social and emotional development. In classrooms where joy and fun are present, students are more likely to engage in collaborative activities that enhance their ability to communicate, empathise, and problem-solve—skills that will benefit them well beyond school.
A decline in social competence, as evident in the Australian Early Development Collection (AEDC) data, highlights the need for a renewed focus on interpersonal relationships. The proposed social media restrictions for children under 16 may help orient our attention back to real world connection. While the online environment offers broad opportunities for connection and amusement, it has also led to increased opportunities for interpersonal difficulties, including bullying. Conflict resolution skills are sorely needed and practicing these skills in real life situations is vital.
Play has a place in the learning process too. It is not merely an enjoyable activity, but a fundamental right providing children with opportunities to develop creativity, social skills, and emotional resilience. Through play, children learn to navigate complex social dynamics, negotiate, cooperate, and explore their imaginations in a safe, supportive environment. It is an essential tool for learning, growth, and emotional wellbeing, and when incorporated into the classroom, it enriches both the educational experience and the overall development of the child.
Fun, joy, and play are not luxuries; they are essential components of an effective and sustainable learning and teaching environment. Professor Pasi Sahlberg once commented that in Australia it seems play is the thing you do when the work is done rather than being valued work itself.
Joy and fun are valued by families too. In establishing a new school in 2010, 96 per cent of the community of students, staff and families voted for ‘fun’ to be one of the school values. The value of fun was used to inform planning and reflection, i.e. What fun traditions or rituals can we establish that students look forward to each week or month? How can we integrate outdoor learning experiences to combine fun with exploration and discovery? How could transitioning between classes be joyful? What was fun for me today?
Incorporating joy and fun in the classroom does not mean teachers are expected to be entertainers or constantly devise elaborate activities.
Instead, it involves focusing on students’ and teachers’ strengths, encouraging the sharing of stories and experiences, allowing space for imagination, collaboration, and play, providing agency and choice in learning tasks and creating opportunities for pursuing individual questions and interests. This approach fosters a dynamic and engaging learning environment that supports both education and emotional development. And it makes the job of teaching more enjoyable too!
In 2022 Professor Carol Ann Tomlinson wrote: “I dream of a classroom where every student experiences learning as joy, a grand adventure, a window into the world and the important roles they can play in that world. No teacher or school leader in my dream space confuses merely following a pacing guide with real teaching or a curriculum of coverage with real learning. Of course, students focus on reading and math, but they learn those things not predominately through rote practice but as the issues and ideas they explore call on them to apply those skills in a meaningful context. They experience learning as the remarkable human gift it is.”
I consider the profession of teaching to also be a remarkable gift. As we move through the 2025 school year it is crucial to keep joy and fun at the forefront of our educational practices. This not only enhances the learning experiences, but also contributes to the development of resilient, motivated, and engaged teachers and learners.
About the author
Australian Primary Principals Association President Angela Falkenberg has held senior school leadership positions across both primary and secondary schools and has extensive experience in the education of First Nations children. APPA provides a voice to more than 7,600 public, Catholic and independent primary school principals across the country.
