Running Header: Action Research Report

Action Research Report Shannon Hogan Azusa Pacific University Dr. Joanne Gi !reath

Action Research Report Section One: Introduction "he !asis for this study #i !e the dreaded tas$ of tidying up %y house. "his action research report #i ana yze the i%prove%ent that co%es #ith %andating a ten& %inute tidying up period !efore going to s eep every night. 'urrent y( %y condo( #hi e

fair y c ean( can !e rather %essy. )et#een su!stitute teaching( #or$ing on %y %asters( oo$ing for a per%anent teaching *o!( and *ust iving ife( %a$ing sure %y c othes find their #ay !ac$ to the c oset ends up o# on %y ist of priorities. Ho#ever( as a teacher( + crave organization and contro and #ou d ove to find a #ay to $eep %y condo in order even #hen + a% !usy. As + !egan to !rainstor% for this action research report + $ne# that this #as %y chance to !e %ore proactive a!out organization in %y ho%e. ,ver the su%%er + read Gretchen Ru!in-s !oo$ The Happiness Project, in #hich she ta$es on a arge action research p an of sorts( to increase her eve of happiness in severa areas( one of the% !eing to organize her ho%e. .hi e %any of her %ethods are one&ti%e events that #ou d not fit #ith the ongoing research of this report( one of her strategies for organization see%ed !oth successfu and supportive to this type of research: the evening tidy&up. Ru!in descri!ed this strategy in her !oo$ stating( /"idying up at night %ade our %ornings %ore serene and p easant and( in an added !enefit( he ped prepare %e for s eep. Putting things in order is very ca %ing( and doing so%ething physica %a$es %e a#are of !eing tired0 12334( p.556. Ru!in points out the other goa + hope to achieve !y trying out the evening tidy&up: i%proved s eep. )ased on the success that Ru!in found #ith this strategy( + have decided to use %y o#n version of this %ethod for %y action research report. 7y research 8uestion is: .i spending ten %inutes tidying up %y ho%e !efore !ed i%prove !oth the organization of %y ho%e and %y s eep 8ua ity9 Section Two: Implementation "he i%p e%entation of this action research p an #as rather si%p e( !ut re8uired a %a*or and continua co%%it%ent. :very evening #hen + deter%ined that + #anted to go to s eep( + spent a %ini%u% of ten %inutes pic$ing up around the condo. ,ne of the great things a!out this strategy #as its f e;i!i ity. + #as not tied to c eaning any particu ar area of the condo< rather + cou d focus on #hat see%ed the %essiest that day. + focused %ore on returning ite%s to their correct ocations than on actua c eaning( i$e #iping off

Action Research Report counters or ta! es. + a so #as not over#he %ed !y the a%ount of ti%e + needed to spend. "o co ect data on the organization of %y house( the fo o#ing %orning + #ou d count the nu%!er of ite%s out of p ace in the condo. + categorized the ite%s into four categories: c othing( shoes( dishes( and %isce aneous 1co%puter( %a$eup( hair

products( other techno ogy( etc.6 "he other for% of data + co ected #as through the use of the iPhone app ication /S eep 'yc e0 #hich assesses one-s s eep 8ua ity !y %easuring %ove%ents during s eep #hen p aced on the !ed. "his deter%ines ho# %uch of the night the s eeper spent rest ess and %oving( versus ho# %uch #as spent in deep s eep. )ased on these %easure%ents( the app can assess the a%ount of ti%e spent in the various cyc es of s eep( thus deter%ining a eve of s eep 8ua ity. A typica i%p e%entation of %y evening tidy&up strategy usua y occurred in the fo o#ing prioritized order: Return as %uch c othing as possi! e to the aundry !in( proper dresser( or c oset ocation( hanging up c othing in the c oset that %ay !e on the f oor and ensuring the outfit for the ne;t day is hanging at the front Return a %isp aced shoes to the shoe !in at the front door or the c oset( !ased on the fre8uency of their use ,nce in the c oset( pic$ up a shoes fro% the c oset f oor and return to proper shoe rac$s Return a dishes fro% the !edroo% and iving roo% to the $itchen and put as %any as possi! e into the dish#asher =oo$ around the iving roo%( $itchen and !edroo% for other %isce aneous out of p ace ite%s to !e returned ,rganize ite%s in the !athroo% proper y ,rganize ite%s in the $itchen proper y

)ased on ho# ong a certain step %ay ta$e on that day( + perfor%ed %ore or ess of the tas$s descri!ed a!ove. A so( + #as a o#ed to stop after ten %inutes no %atter ho# %any of tas$s + had co%p eted( !ut + cou d a so tidy up for onger if + fe t the desire. After finishing( + #ou d ie in !ed and set %y /S eep 'yc e0 app ication to %easure %y s eep 8ua ity. +n the %orning + #ou d 8uic$ y assess the condo for out of p ace ite%s( recording

Action Research Report %y data for the four categories. Step Three: Results

After i%p e%enting this strategy for four #ee$s( + found very interesting resu ts in !oth the organization of %y ho%e and %y s eep 8ua ity. +n the #ee$ prior to conducting this Action Research( + too$ !ase ine data and created averages for a of %y categories of interest: c othes( shoes( dishes( %isce aneous and s eep 8ua ity. "he !ase ine data #as the fo o#ing: Sleep Clothes Baseline Average 4 3 4 7 90.40% Shoes Dishes Misc Quality

' ear y %isce aneous ite%s !eing out of p ace #as %y argest pro! e% area( #ith c othes and dishes fo o#ing !ehind. A so( %y s eep 8ua ity #as at a rather high eve in the #ee$ prior to this action research study !eginning. After i%p e%enting %y tidy&up strategy for four #ee$s and co ecting data each day( %y averages for each category #ere the fo o#ing: Dishe Ave . Clothes Shoes s 0.$07$4%&' 0.4(4%&'7$ 7 4 0.7' Sleep Misc Quality $.4%&'7$4% 9 &$% i!e spent "!in# $3.7$4%&'7 $

>ro% *ust the averages of %y data( %any conc usions can !e dra#n. >or instance( there #ere enough days in the four&#ee$ span #here + had zero c othes( shoes or dishes eft %isp aced that %y average for those three categories #as !e o# one. A so( it is c ear that the one category that + continued to face the %ost difficu ty #ith #as %isce aneous ite%s. + #as surprised to find that %y s eep 8ua ity actua y #ent do#n during this four& #ee$ period( #ith an average of ?1@( #hich is a %ost ten percentage points o#er than !efore this action research !egan. >ina y( in genera + spent %ore than ten %inutes tidying up( #ith an average of a %ost fourteen %inutes spent per day. 7y averages for each ite% category are sho#n in the chart !e o#:

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+ a so created charts de%onstrating %y data for each individua category: c othes( shoes( dishes( %isce aneous and s eep 8ua ity. .hen oo$ed at individua y the data de%onstrates %y success and difficu ties #ith this action research study.

>ro% %y !ase ine of four ite%s %isp aced on average( + %ade drastic i%prove%ents in $eeping %y c othes %ore organized. + never had %ore than one ite% out of p ace( and the arge %a*ority of days + had nothing out of p ace. "his is i$e y !ecause the first tas$ on %y prioritized ist for tidying up #as /Return as %uch c othing as possi! e to the aundry !in( proper dresser( or c oset ocationB0 "he fe# ti%es that an ite% re%ained %isp aced #as usua y due to it !eing ocated in an area of the condo that + did not c ean up that night( i$e the $itchen or other !edroo%.

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.hi e at one point %y nu%!er of shoes %isp aced reached the eve of %y !ase ine average( + #ou d a so say that shoes #ere a successfu area for %e. "he %a*ority of the days + had zero shoes %isp aced( #ith one or t#o out of p ace a coup e of ti%es. As #ith c othing( shoes #ere high on the priority ist for tidying up and therefore #ere fre8uent y a successfu category. "he shoes out of p ace genera y corre ated #ith the a%ount of ti%e spent tidying up< for instance if + on y spent 13 %inutes tidying up and %y c oset #as a disaster( shoes in the iving roo% %ay have !een eft out.

"hough it ca%e in third to c othing and shoes( dishes a so %ade so%e i%prove%ents over the four&#ee$ period. 7any days had zero dishes %isp aced( and the nu%!er %isp aced topped out at on y t#o dishes for the #ho e period. .hat the data does not revea is that + %ade arge i%prove%ents in $eeping dishes in %y !edroo%. ,nce again( it #as co%%on that #hen + on y spent a the %ini%u% a%ount of ti%e tidying up( the

Action Research Report dishes #ou d %a$e it out of %y roo%( !ut %ight re%ain on the coffee ta! e in the iving roo%.

As previous y %entioned( %isce aneous ite%s #ere %y pro! e%( !oth !efore this study and during the study. +n %y data + found a strong corre ation !et#een the a%ount of ti%e + spent tidying up and ho# #e + did #ith %isce aneous ite%s. =ocations i$e the $itchen and the !athroo%( #here %isce aneous ite%s pi e up( #ere o#er on the prioritized ist for tidying up. + fee that this category is an area #here + #i continue to need to i%prove.

"he category #here + fee + did not %a$e i%prove%ents and #here + fee + #as incorrect in %y research 8uestion #as s eep 8ua ity. 7y s eep 8ua ity #as %easure !y the app /S eep 'yc e0 #hich gives the user a percentage of s eep 8ua ity for the previous night-s s eep( #ith a higher percentage !eing !etter than a o# percentage. "he s eep 8ua ity is

Action Research Report %easured !ased on %ove%ents in the !ed( #hich he ps the app deter%ine ho# %uch ti%e the user spent in various s eep cyc es i$e R:7 and deep s eep. "he %ore s eep cyc es a user goes through in a night increases the s eep 8ua ity percentage. + do not fee %y s eep 8ua ity had any corre ation to %y tidying up. 7y s eep 8ua ity did not appear to !e i%pacted !y the a%ount of ti%e + spent tidying up or !y the act of tidying up in genera . 7y s eep 8ua ity actua y decreased during this period( though + do not fee that tidying up caused this. + !e ieve the stress of ho idays( #or$ and schoo

affected %y s eep( and that tidying up a one cou d not con8uer this stress to i%prove %y s eep. "he co%p ete ta! e of %y resu ts is sho#n !e o#. +t a so inc udes the ti%e + spent tidying up each day( #hich de%onstrates the corre ation !et#een ti%e spent and success in the individua categories. Clothes Baseline Average 7)Dec &)Dec 9)Dec $0)Dec $$)Dec $%)Dec $3)Dec $4)Dec $')Dec $()Dec $7)Dec $&)Dec $9)Dec %0)Dec %$)Dec %%)Dec %3)Dec %4)Dec %')Dec %()Dec %7)Dec %&)Dec 4 0 0 $ 0 0 0 0 $ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Shoes 3 0 $ % 0 0 0 % 3 0 0 0 0 0 $ 0 0 0 0 0 $ % 0 Dishe s 4 % $ 0 0 0 $ % % 0 0 0 $ 0 $ 0 0 $ % 0 % $ 0 Misc 7 3 % $ 0 0 3 3 $ 0 0 $ $ 0 $ 0 0 0 4 0 % ' 0 Sleep Quality 90.40% &9% &7% '9% &3% 7$% 97% 9%% 99% 7'% 7(% 7$% &&% '7% 97% 7'% 7(% '3% 7(% &&% &0% &4% &4% i!e spent "!inutes# 0 $% $$ $0 $4 $% $3 $0 $0 $( $% $$ $% $4 $0 %0 $' $% $0 $7 $3 $0 $4

Action Research Report %9)Dec 30)Dec 3$)Dec $)*an %)*an 3)*an Average 0 0 $ 0 0 0 0.$07$4% & 0 0 $ 0 0 0 0.4(4%& % 0 % $ 0 0 0.7' 4 0 ( 3 0 0 $.4%&'7$ 4 9(% 94% '3% 90% 94% &0% &$%

4 $3 3' $0 $$ $( %$ $3.7$4%&'7$

Step Four: Conclusions After this study + have co%e to the conc usion that spending ten %inutes tidying up !efore !edti%e does in fact i%prove overa organization and neatness in %y ho%e( !ut that pre&!edti%e tidying up does not i%prove s eep 8ua ity. + found that + had %ore success in tidying up #hen + too$ %ore than the ten %inutes re8uired( especia y in categories i$e %isce aneous ite%s and dishes. .hi e it #ou d fo o# that + #ou d reco%%end re8uiring a fifteen %inute tidying up period for this study( + a so found that on #ee$end evenings it #as difficu t to force %yse f to even perfor% the ten %inutes of tidying up. After spending an evening #ith friends or fa%i y and arriving ho%e ate( the ast thing + fe t i$e doing #as tidying up. + a so found that + #ou d have the urge to tidy up at other ti%es during the day. Given that the study did not i%prove s eep 8ua ity( + reco%%end the study !e changed to finding a ten %inute tidying up period at any point in the day. ,n #ee$end evenings #hen one has p ans she or he %ay find it easier to try tidying up !efore eaving the house. + hope to continue this practice in %y persona ife( !ut #ithout the constraint of tidying up !efore !edti%e. + fee one %a*or success during this action research study #as %y rea ization of ho# %uch can get done during a short period. + !egan to see that %y roo% that oo$ed i$e a tota disaster cou d !e put !ac$ together in on y ten %inutes if + focused and #ent to #or$. + tru y tested this idea on Dece%!er 53th #hen + spent a record a%ount of ti%e tidying up: thirty&five %inutes. ,n that evening + rea ized %y frustration #ith %y $itchen-s organization and too$ on the tas$ of co%p ete y rearranging the ocations for dishes( tupper#are and food. +n on y a!out a ha f hour + had %ade an a%azing y he pfu change to %y $itchen that + had !een putting off for %onths out of fear of ho# ong it #ou d ta$e. "his study has sho#n %e that tac$ ing organization cha enges does not ta$e as ong as one #ou d suspect( if one

Action Research Report re%ains focused and thin$s creative y and critica y a!out #hat #or$s !est persona y. Step Five: General Comments "he action research process #as a re%inder of ho# i%portant and ho# difficu t se f ref ection can !e. "he hardest part of the action research #as not the actua act of tidying up( !ut of recording the data for %y resu ts. "his difficu ty re%inds %e that + a% not the %ost proficient ana yzing %y actions. As a teacher it is essentia to oo$ !ac$ at esson p ans and entire units to ana yze ho# successfu they #ere. "his type of ref ection shou d not !e done #ith on y gut fee ings( as + so%eti%es do( !ut #ith actua

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data and evidence. + have found that an area #here + can i%prove is in %y dedication to recording data in %y #or$ and ife so that + can accurate y ref ect on ho# + a% doing. .hat + i$ed !est a!out this activity #as not on y that it gave %e a reason to *u%p start organization in %y ho%e( !ut that it he d %e accounta! e to this activity #ith the re8uire%ent of recording data. Un i$e %any of %y atte%pts to organize( i%prove fitness( or other se f i%prove%ent( + stayed co%%itted to this activity !ecause + #as he d accounta! e. + hope to i%p e%ent this type of se f study in %y persona ife and professiona ife as + %ove for#ard after this %aster-s progra%( though si%p e and s%a ( it taught %e a great dea a!out %yse f and %y need to !e he d accounta! e.

Action Research Report References Ru!in( G. 123346. The happiness project. Fe# Gor$: Harper 'o ins.

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