Guided Pomodoro in University STEM: embedding microbreaks to improve achievement and long-term retention

Sustained attention during numerically intensive university instruction is vulnerable to fatigue, mind wandering and re-entry costs after unstructured breaks. This study evaluates Guided Pomodoro, a classroom pacing method that embeds brief, instructor led micro-activities within lecture flow without labelling them as ‘breaks.’ Across five consecutive cohorts in Single-Variable Calculus and Physics I, intact sections were assigned to Traditional instruction, Free Pomodoro (announced breaks) or Guided Pomodoro, with instructor, syllabus, assessments and rubrics held constant and repeat course students excluded. Guided Pomodoro showed consistent advantages in final course performance, equity relevant distributional shifts favouring lower performing students, improved within semester trajectories and reduced long term decay in a matched follow up sub-study.