Investigating the Effectiveness of Pomodoro, Flowtime, and Self-regulated Break-Taking Techniques among Students

Taking effective breaks during a study session is crucial for maintaining high levels of performance, especially in self-regulated learning settings in which students are required to plan their study tasks themselves. However, research on effective break-taking in self-regulated learning settings is limited. This study investigates the effect of Pomodoro, Flowtime, and Self-regulated breaks on subjective study experiences, task completion, and flow in a 2-hour study session. The sample consisted of 94 University students. The participants participated in an online intervention in which they were instructed on how to take breaks in an authentic study session. In the Self-regulated break condition (n=25) students decided for themselves when and how long to take a break. In the Pomodoro condition (n= 36) students took 5-minute breaks after every 25 minutes of studying. In the Flowtime group (n=33) participants decided themselves when to take a break however, the duration of the break was determined based on how long they studied. Results showed that Flowtime breaks led to a slower increase in fatigue compared to the other conditions. No difference between the break-taking techniques has been identified for motivation and productivity levels, task completion, and flow state. Future research should focus on investigating these break techniques further by including variables like personality and mental effort measures.