The Impact of Pomodoro-style Class Breaks on Higher Education Student Engagement

This study compared students’ perceived engagement during in-person classes when a pre-determined scheduled break technique (Pomodoro) was used, compared to a faculty-determined break technique where students do not know when a break is planned. A quasi-experimental study was conducted where undergraduate nursing and graduate social work students were taught using the Pomodoro technique (intervention) or the faculty-determined break technique (control) in an in-person 3-hr class. Both student cohorts were exposed to the intervention and control conditions within each course. An optional student engagement and break activity survey was provided at the end of each class. Compared with faculty-determined break days, Pomodoro days were associated with higher scores for curiosity about course content before class ( p = .039), understanding of learning outcomes ( p = .007), and reflection on learning and personal growth ( p = .019) among social work students. Among nursing students, each additional day in the semester was associated with a 2.68 (CI: 1.6, 6.2; p = .021) increased odds in students connecting what they learned to existing knowledge on Pomodoro classes compared to faculty-delivered break classes. Using a previously validated student engagement scale, we coded student and instructor qualitative survey responses. Students most often expressed enjoyment of school life and self-regulated learning . Instructors’ responses revealed two subthemes, time management and wishing for Pomodoro , emphasizing how time management may be connected to student engagement. Using pre-scheduled class breaks can potentially benefit higher education student engagement.