ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 8 (2025)

A Comparative Study Between Pomodoro and Flowtime Techniques Among College Students

John Marvin D. Renacido | Emmanuel L. Mayordo | Ersyl T. Biray

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This comparative research utilized mixed methods to analyze Po-modoro and the Flowtime study techniques and examine de-mographics, students' preferences, efficacy, and gaps. Data were gathered through a virtual interview with 12 students and physical and online survey questionnaires among 108 students. Descriptive qualitative analysis revealed that the Pomodoro technique is effec-tive in structured environments, especially for those who need un-interrupted focus while the Flowtime technique proves its efficacy for deep work and creativity but in less controlled environments. Results indicated that 55.6% of respondents preferred the Pomo-doro technique for its structured intervals, stress-reducing breaks, and productivity tracking, although its rigid scheduling was noted as a limitation, and 44.4% favored the Flowtime technique for its immersive focus and task engagement, but it was less effective when motivation was low. The quantitative data support that the Pomo-doro technique is more effective than the Flowtime technique in terms of memory retention, academic performance, and time man-agement with a difference of 0.14 from their grand means. The grand mean concerning the gaps implies that Pomodoro is more in-effective than the Flowtime technique in terms of lack of focus, in-flexibility, and reduced motivation with a difference of 0.11. Overall, the study establishes that the qualitative conclusions align with the quantitative findings with minute discrepancies in some factors, in-cluding academic success and time management under the Pomo-doro technique, as well as inflexibility in using the Flowtime tech-nique.



References:

  1. AngoluanM. (2023) Effectiveness of Pomodoro Technique  on  Memory  Retention  among Psychology  Students  in  a  University  in Quezon City, Philippines
  2. Ardura, I.R., & Artola, A.M. (2017). Flow in e-learning:  What  drives  it  and  why  it  mat-ters.  British  journal  of  educational  tech-nology, 48(4), 899-915.
  3. Aydin E. (2024). The Flow Method Note Taking: A  Complete  Guide  to  Taking  Notes  While Learning
  4. Biwer, F., Wiradhany, W., oude Egbrink, M. G., & De  Bruin,  A.  B.  (2023).  Understanding  ef-fort  regulation:  Comparing  ‘Pomo-doro’breaks  and  self-regulated  breaks. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 353-367.
  5. Botchu,  R.  (2024).  Can  We  Apply  Pomo-doro  Technique  in  Academic  Publishing?. Apollo Medicine, 21(2), 176-177.Kuan,  G.,  Rizal,  H.,  Hajar,  M.  S.,  Chin,  M.  K.,  & Mok, M. M. C. (2019). Bright sports, physi-cal activity investments that work: Imple-menting  brain  breaks  in  Malaysian  pri-mary  schools.  British  journal  of  sports medicine, 53(14), 905-906.
  6. Burton,  L.  D.  (2016).  Can  a  Tomato  Increase Your Productivity?. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 25(2), 95-96.
  7. Creswell,  J.  W.,  &  Plano  Clark,  V.  L.  (2010).  De-signing  and  conducting  mixed  methods research  (2nd  ed.).  Thousand  Oaks,  CA: Sage. https://open.merelearn-ing.ca/ssi/chapter/mixed-meth-odsresearch/#:~:text=Accord-ing%20to%20Cre-swell%20and%20Plano,da-taset%20might%20be%20embed-ded%20inCsikszentmihalyi (1990). Flow: The Psychology of  Optimal  Experience.
  8. Dizon, R. J., Ermitanio, H. D., Estevez, D. M., Fer-rer,  J.,  Flores,  S.  J.,  Fontanilla,  K.  M.,  ...  & Sugay,  J.  (2021).  The  effects  of  the  pomo-doro     technique     on     academic-related tasks,  procrastination  behavior,  and  aca-demic motivation among college students in  a  mixed  online  learning  environment. Globus  Journal  of  Progressive  Education, 11(2), 58-63.
  9. Forsberg  M.  (2023)  The  Flow  Method  of  Note-Taking:     Notes     for     Active     Learning.
  10. Galang, N., & Galang, E. (2017). Computer Aided Tool  in  Science  for  Kindergarten  Pupils. Computer   Science   and   Engineering   p-ISSN, 2163-1484.
  11. Gardiner,   F.   (2023).   The   Flow   Method   of notetaking.
  12. Gobbo F. & Vaccari M., (2008). “The Pomodoro Technique   for   Sustainable   Pace   in   Ex-treme   Programming   Teams.   In:   Abra-hamsson   P.,   Baskerville   R.,   Conboy   K., Fitzgerald B., Morgan L., Wang X. (eds) Ag-ile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming”, XP 2008. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol     9.     Springer,     Berlin,     Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68255-4_18. 
  13. Goldfinch,  S.  (2015).  How  To  Enjoy  Studying: Flow. https://www.pursuit-of-happi-ness.org/how-to-enjoy-studying-flow/#:~:text=In%20or-der%20to%20stimu-late%20flow,in%20a%20set%20time%20period.    
  14. Golovkova, D.V., (2016). “Time management as essential   skill   for   successful   career   in competitive   environment.   Problems   of Geology and Subsoil Development”, Pro-ceedings  of  the  XX  International  Sympo-sium  named  after  Academician  MA  Usov of students and youngscientists dedicated to  the  120th  anniversary  of  the  founding of  Tomsk  Polytechnic  University,  Tomsk, 2, 1231-1233.
  15. Ismail,  N.  M.,  Putri,  Z.,  &  Noviyanti,  A.  (2022). Pomodoro  Technique  Analysis  in  Zoom-Based Classrooms. JEELS (Journal  of Eng-lish  Education  and  Linguistics  Studies), 9(1),  75-96.
  16. Iyengar,  K.  P.,  Vaishya,  R.,  & Renacido et al., 2025 /A Comparative Study Between Pomodoro Technique and Flowtime Technique Among College StudentsIJMABER 3973Volume 6| Number 8| August| 2025
  17. Law   Hawaii   Libguides.   (2021)   Flow-Based Method
  18. McDonnell,  J.  W.  (2019).  Maine’s  workforce challenges  in  an  age  of  artificial  intelli-gence. Maine Policy Review, 28(1), 11-16.
  19. Moral-Bofill,  L.,  López  de  la  Llave,  A.,  Pérez-Llantada,   M.   C.,   &   Holgado-Tello,   F.   P. (2022).  Development  of  flow  state  self-regulation  skills  and  coping  with  musical performance  anxiety:  design  and  evalua-tion of an electronically implemented psy-chological  program.  Frontiers  in  Psychol-ogy, 13, 899621
  20. Parker,  C.,  (2024).  The  Flowtime  Technique: Find Your Flow for a More Productive and Enjoyable Workday.
  21. Pedersen,  M.,  Muhr,  S.  L.,  &  Dunne,  S.  (2024). Time management between the personal-isation  and  collectivisation  of  productiv-ity:  The  case  of  adopting  the  Pomodoro time-management    tool    in    a    four-day workweek   company.    Time   &    Society, 0961463X241258303.
  22. Posey,   J.   (2024).   The   Flowtime   Technique: Pros,   Cons,   and   a   Step-by-Step   Guide.
  23. Que,  Chelsea  Gayle  L.,  Adonis,  Louis  Vergel  C., Casus, Andrea Isabelle A., Hugo, Aleisa Joy D.,  Sino-ag,  Mary  Ellen  L.,  Tariman,  Julia Monique  O.,  Mary  Ana  Seline  Angoluan. (2023).  Effectiveness  of  Pomodoro  Tech-nique  on  Memory  Retention  among  Psy-chology  Students  in  a  University  in  Que-zon  City,  Philippines.  European  Modern Studies Journal, DOI:10.59573/emsj.7(5).2023.24.
  24. Radvansky,  G.  A.,  &  Dijkstra,  K.  (2007).  Aging and  situation  model  processing.  Psycho-nomic Bulletin &  Review, 14(6), 1027–1042.
  25. Sani,  A.,  Rochintaniawati,  D.,  &  Winarno,  N. (2019).   Using   Brain-Based   Learning   to Promote   Students'   Concept   Mastery   in Learning  Electric  Circuit.  Journal  of  Sci-ence Learning, 2(2), 42-49.
  26. Sumaya, I. C., & Darling, E. (2018). Procrastina-tion,  flow,  and  academic  performance  in real  time  using  the  experience  sampling method.  The  Journal  of  genetic  psychol-ogy, 179(3), 123-131.
  27. The   Company   Cebu   (2023).   The   Flowtime Technique:   A   Productivity   Revolution. https://thecompany.ph/the-flowtime-technique-a-productivity-revolution/Trias,  A.  (2012).  The  holomorphic  embedding load flow method. 
  28. University Library (2024) The Flow Method  of Notetaking.
  29. Vaishya R., Botchu R., Iyengar K. P. (2023)  Can We  Apply  Pomodoro  Technique  in  Aca-demic Publishing?
  30. Villarin, S. J. B., & Emperador, E. A. (2023). Fac-tors,    Forms,    and    Functions    of    Code Switching on English Achievement among Grade  11  Students.  International  Journal of  Science  and  Management  Studies,  99–109.
  31. Zahariades,  D.  (2015).   The  Pomodoro  tech-nique: A 10-step action plan for increasing your productivity (1st electronic ed.). Kin-dle Edition purchased from Amazon. com, 96

Tools


Copyright © 2025   ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø