Information for school leaders

This summer 2026, we are inviting primary school teachers to take part in a short research activity exploring how teachers reflect on their work, how private reflection is experienced, and what role this kind of reflection may or may not have in future professional practice.

The activity is light-touch. We have invited schools already using Blippit Boards which has got 'Reflect' built in, but trial schools can also take part too.
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First, teachers complete a 1-2 minute step about how they have reflected professionally in the past. They then have two weeks to use Reflect, the private reflection feature already available in your school’s Blippit Boards account, if and when they choose.

After 14 days, they complete a short 3-4 minute follow-up about their experience and views on future practice.The activity is open at: research.blippit.io

‍Why we are doing this activity
It goes without saying that reflection is already a familiar part of school life. It appears everywhere as you know.

But, there is also a quieter form of reflection that happens privately. Teachers may think something through after a lesson, talk it over with a colleague, or take a moment (many) from the day home with them. This kind of reflection is often informal and unseen, but it may still be part of how teachers make sense of their work.

This research activity explores that area more carefully.

We are interested in whether giving teachers access to a private reflection feature over a short period changes how they experience 'reflection', whether it feels useful or not, and what conditions teachers think would matter if this kind of approach were used more widely.

The activity is not designed to prove that one form of reflection is better than another. It's designed to understand teachers’ experiences and gather a range of views.

Why this may be relevant to school improvement
Leadership at all levels wants to understand what is improving, where support is needed and how professional learning is contributing to better experiences for learners.

At the same time, school improvement also depends on the conditions that help staff learn, adapt and make sense of their practice. Reflection is one of those conditions.

Blippit's research activity asks whether private reflection may have a place within that wider picture. In particular, it explores whether teachers see value in a private space for reflection, whether they would want that space to remain separate from school-facing systems, and whether they think this kind of approach has any relevance to wellbeing, professional clarity or future practice.

The findings may be positive, mixed or cautious. All of those outcomes would be useful.

For school leaders, the value of taking part is that it contributes to a better understanding of how teachers experience reflection, what they find helpful, and what boundaries may be important.

What teachers are asked to do
The activity has three parts.

Part 1: Past experience
Teachers begin by selecting from a set of statements about how they have reflected during their career.

These statements include formal approaches, such as lesson evaluations, appraisal processes and CPD activities. They also include informal approaches, such as thinking something through privately, talking with trusted colleagues, or reflecting away from school.

This first step helps build a picture of teachers’ previous experiences of reflection.

Two-week Reflect period
After completing Part 1, teachers are invited to use 'Reflect', the private reflection feature within Blippit Boards, over the following two weeks.

There is no expectation to use it every day. There is no target number of reflections. Teachers can use it once, several times, or not at all, depending on what feels natural during the two-week period.

Reflect is private to the individual teacher. What they write is not shared with their school as part of this activity.

Teachers are simply invited to use Reflect whenever there is a moment from their teaching day that they would like to set down, look at more clearly, or return to for their own benefit.

Parts 2 and 3: Experience and future practice
After fourteen days, teachers return to complete the final part of the activity.

They are asked to select from statements about their experience of using Reflect, including what felt useful, what did not, whether anything felt different from other forms of reflection, and whether anything was missing.

They are then asked to respond to statements about future practice, including whether this kind of reflection could have a place in their working life, whether it should remain private, and whether they see any connection with wellbeing or professional development.

The final step takes around 2 minutes.
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What participation involves

Teachers who take part will be asked to:
1. Complete Part 1 at research.blippit.io
2. Use Reflect privately in Blippit Boards over the following two weeks, if and when they choose to
3. Return after fourteen days to complete Parts 2 and 3

The activity is intended to be manageable alongside normal teaching work. There is no requirement to complete a reflection every day and no expectation that teachers share the content of their reflections with anyone at school.

What the research may help us understand
The activity may help us understand:
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• how teachers currently experience formal and informal reflection
• whether a private reflection feature feels useful, limited, unnecessary or different from existing approaches
• whether teachers see any connection between private reflection, wellbeing and professional practice
• what boundaries teachers would want around privacy and school-facing use
• whether this kind of approach has any possible relevance to school improvement

The research may show that teachers value this kind of private space. It may show that they are cautious about it. It may show that it is useful for some teachers and not others. It may also show that privacy is an important condition if teachers are to reflect honestly.

All of these findings would help inform how Reflect develops and how schools might think about reflection in future.

A note for school leaders
This activity does not ask leaders to monitor teacher reflections or review what staff write.

The purpose is to understand teachers’ own experiences of reflection. For that reason, the private nature of Reflect is important. The research is looking at whether a space that is not school-facing may still have value for teachers and, potentially, for the wider conditions that support professional growth.

School leaders who choose to share the link with staff are simply inviting teachers to take part in a voluntary research activity. Teachers can then decide for themselves whether they wish to participate.

The link to share is: research.blippit.io

‍Suggested message to staff
You may wish to share the link with staff using wording such as:

"Blippit is running a short research activity exploring teacher reflection. It asks teachers to complete a short first step, use Reflect privately in Blippit Boards over two weeks if and when they choose to, and then complete a short follow-up afterwards.

There is no expectation to use it every day, and what you write in Reflect is private to you. The activity is intended to help understand how teachers experience reflection and whether this kind of private reflective space is useful, limited, or something in between.

You can take part here: research.blippit.io

‍References
Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit.

Hopkins, D. (2001). School improvement for real. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Lamb, J. (2017). How do teachers reflect on their practice? A study into how feedback influences teachers’ reflective practice. The STeP Journal, 4(4), 94–104.

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.