Character Education

Research at
Eton College
Introduction
A growing body of research provides insights into how character skills and dispositions can be
cultivated in school. 1 Eton College is committed to using this expanding field of research to
understand the development of pupils’ character in a way that is not just tacit but conscious so that
the school can more intentionally support pupils’ character development. Accordingly, the Tony
Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning at Eton College has collaborated with
academics on several research endeavors in this area. Among these collaborations, the Tony Little
Centre partnered with Research Schools International (RSI) on an intervention study on growth
mindset and a study exploring pupils’ happiness.
Building on this work, the Tony Little Centre and RSI have recently carried out a research study on
character education at Eton. This research study explores the following questions:
• Which character skills and dispositions are central to the Eton community?
• How is Eton supporting the development of these skills and dispositions?
• How can Eton further support the development of these skills and dispositions?

In the first phase of this project, we conducted a survey to identify the character skills and
dispositions that are most central to the Eton community. We surveyed pupils, masters, some
support staff, and dames, and explored how important they believe it is for Eton to promote a wide
range of character skills and dispositions. Results indicate that the character skills and dispositions
most central to the Eton community are: motivation, perseverance, happiness, gratitude, and
respect. In the second phase of the project, we conducted an academic literature review to identify
research-based practices known to support the development of motivation, perseverance, happiness,
gratitude, and respect. Following this, we distributed a second survey to the Eton community, which
was used to explore to what extent those research-based practices are currently implemented at
Eton. Our study demonstrates that masters at Eton are skillfully employing many research-based
practices known to support motivation, perseverance, happiness, gratitude, and respect. In addition,
our study identifies areas for growth in which masters can deepen their use of research-based
practices to further promote the character skills and dispositions that are most central to their
community. As a follow up to this study, RSI is leading a professional development workshop for
masters on the research-based practices that the study identified as areas for growth. With this work,
Eton can be confident that it is indeed actively promoting the character skills and dispositions that
are most central to its community.

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 Methods
This study consisted of two phases of research. In Phase I, we collected data on which
character skills and dispositions are most central to the Eton community. In Phase II,
we collected data on the extent to which research-based practices known to support
these character skills and dispositions are currently employed at Eton.

Phase I

Survey
To create the survey for Phase I of this research, we first reviewed the work of several
organizations that focus on the importance of character education in schools. 2 From
this search, we created a list of character skills and dispositions to explore with the
survey. In the survey, we presented the list of character skills and dispositions and we
asked participants to rate how important they think it is for Eton to promote each skill
or disposition. The survey for Phase I consisted of multiple-choice questions.

Participants
There were 519 pupils that participated in a survey for Phase I. Among this group, we
found a fairly even distribution of pupils across the five year groups at Eton (Table 1).
There were 144 members of staff, including masters, support staff, and dames, that
completed a survey for Phase I (Table 1).

Role Number of Pupil and

Participants Staff Sums
F Block 120
E Block 99
D Block 91 519
C Block 109
B Block 100
Master 110
Support Staff 18 144
Dame 16
Table 1. Participants on Phase I survey

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 Data Collection
We created two versions of the Phase I survey to administer to pupils and staff. The
surveys were administered in October 2018 using the survey platform Qualtrics. All
participants received an email containing a link to the survey. Participants completed
the 5-minute multiple-choice survey individually and in one continuous sitting. All
respondents were informed that their participation was voluntary. Survey data were
retrieved directly from Qualtrics.

Data Analysis
We analyzed the survey data using quantitative methods that examined responses for
the highest consistency between our participants. We explored overall ratings across all
of our participants as well as disaggregated ratings among subgroups in our sample.

Phase II

Survey
To create the survey for Phase II of this research, we first reviewed relevant academic
literature for research-based practices known to support motivation, perseverance,
happiness, gratitude, and respect. We refer to this literature throughout the body of the
paper. In the survey, we asked participants to rate the extent to which these research-
based practices are implemented at Eton. Additionally, we asked participants to
respond openly about how Eton supports the development of motivation,
perseverance, happiness, gratitude, and respect, and how they believe Eton could
further support the development of these skills and dispositions. The survey for Phase
II consisted of both multiple-choice and open-ended response questions.

Participants
We had 425 pupils and 112 staff complete surveys for Phase II (Table 2). We again saw
an even distribution of participation among pupils across the five year groups. In
addition, we had a similar proportion of participants from the staff roles.

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 Role Number of Pupil and
participants Staff Sums
F Block 88
E Block 80
D Block 82 425
C Block 88
B Block 87
Master 77
Support Staff 19 112
Dame 16
Table 2. Participants on Phase II survey

Data Collection
We created two versions of the survey for Phase II for the pupils and staff. The surveys
were distributed in January 2019 using the survey platform Qualtrics. All participants
received an email containing a link to the survey. Participants completed the 10-minute
survey individually and in one continuous sitting. All respondents were informed of
their voluntary participation. Survey data were retrieved directly from Qualtrics.

Data Analysis
Responses from the multiple-choice questions were analyzed using quantitative
methods. The open-ended responses were analyzed using qualitative methods adapted
from Grounded Theory Analysis. This approach involves coding the data for themes
related to academic literature as well as themes that emerge from the participants’
ideas.3 The thematic analysis was conducted independently by two RSI researchers to
ensure inter-coder reliability.

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Results and Discussion

Results Overview
In the sections below we present and discuss our findings from this research study on character
education at Eton. Our results from phase one establish that motivation, perseverance, happiness,
gratitude, and respect are of utmost importance to the Eton community. Phase two of this research
illustrates that Eton is already supporting these skills and dispositions through use of several
research-based practices, but could further develop these skills and dispositions by deepening certain
research-based practices. Below we highlight each of the research-based practices that Eton is
already employing and identify areas for growth.

Motivation and Perseverance

How is Eton supporting the development of Motivation and Perseverance?

Results indicate that Eton employs many research-based practices that support pupils’ motivation
and perseverance. In the words of one pupil, “Masters motivate many to try their best.” Specifically,
our results suggest that Eton fosters pupils’ motivation and perseverance by emphasizing the role of effort
in success, providing the right level of challenge, offering teacher support, and using formative assessment. We share
our findings for each of these practices below.

Emphasize the Role of Effort in Success

Educators can support pupil motivation and perseverance by recognizing and rewarding pupils for
their effort, not only for their performance. Doing so teaches pupils that their successes are not a
result of innate intelligence or chance, but are a function of the effort they put into achieving their
goals.4 Our findings suggest that this practice is thoroughly implemented across the years at Eton.
Among our pupil respondents, 82% claim that masters emphasize “quite a bit” or “very much” the
role of effort in pupils’ success (Figure 1). As one pupil succinctly explains, “there is certainly an
emphasis on learning, and putting effort into one’s endeavors.” We find similar consensus among
the staff, with the vast majority (93%) of the masters, support staff, and dames indicating that they
emphasize “quite a bit” or “very much” pupils’ effort as a key component of their success.
Eton accomplishes this in various ways. For example, one way that Eton emphasizes the role of
effort in success is by giving pupils awards for their effort. As one pupil explains: “I am a very self-

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motivated individual, and this is encouraged by awards for excellent effort which help to keep me
motivated.” Eton also emphasizes the role of effort in coaching on the sports field. As one pupil
shares, “I have found that sport, in particular house sport, encourages perseverance.”

Figure 1. Masters emphasize the role of effort in boys’ success

Provide the Right Level of Challenge

Appropriately managing the level of challenge in a learning experience is important for cultivating
motivation. When a pupil’s skills exceed the level of challenge, the pupil can feel disengaged and
bored in a learning activity; likewise, when a pupil’s skills are an inadequate match for the level of
challenge at hand, the combination can trigger anxiety, which can also result in disengagement. In
order for a pupil to be effectively motivated, the challenge and skill level must be matched.5 Our
findings suggest that pupils at Eton receive the appropriate level of challenge in their work. Most
(54%) pupils report they agree “quite a bit” or “very much” that masters provide them with the right
level of challenge (Figure 2). A large percentage (91%) of respondents on the survey of masters,
support staff, and dames report that they provide boys “quite a bit” or “very much” with a level of
challenge that will stretch what pupils can already do.
Analysis of the qualitative data from our study further supports the notion that Eton fosters
motivation by providing the right level of challenge. Pupils often explicitly state that Eton fosters
motivation by “keeping work challenging.” Boys further discuss how masters at Eton reach a
balance between difficulty and ease with the work they assign by considering what boys know
already and pushing them to a reasonable degree beyond that point. As one pupil explains, “Good
teachers encourage me to be motivated by engaging me with stuff I know and understand and enjoy
which merges into more difficult stuff that I don’t understand.” Another pupil shares, “[Eton] puts
you in classes that are of your standard so you don’t lose motivation because the content is too easy
or too hard.” Masters discuss their intention to “stretch [pupils] academically.” Pupils recognize this
approach, with one pupil noting, “EWs and in-div work are challenging enough that there's always
more to learn.”

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Figure 2. Masters provide boys with a level of challenge that will stretch what they can already do

Offer Teacher Support

Previous research has established that perceived teacher support correlates with elevated levels of
motivation among pupils. That is, pupils tend to be more motivated in their work when they feel
sufficiently supported by their teachers.6 Our survey results indicate that most Eton pupils find that
their masters go above and beyond to support them. As one pupil put it, “Teachers will offer to
spend some of their free time to help us.” Another pupil shares that “Teachers are willing to help
you outside of schools, both by creating opportunities (such as the Computational Physics Prize)
and supporting you in your own personal learning.” Our analysis shows that Eton masters provide
three specific forms of support: masters support pupils by believing in pupils’ capacity to reach their
learning goals, assist pupils when they are struggling academically, and encourage students to
construct their own understanding during the learning process.
Our survey findings show that more than half (55%) of pupils find that their masters believe in their
abilities to achieve their learning goals “quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 3). An even larger
proportion of masters, support staff, and dames (89%) indicate that they show boys that they believe
in the boys’ abilities to achieve their learning goals “quite a bit” or “very much.” This finding
emerged as a prominent theme in the open-ended responses where pupils describe the role masters’
support plays in their motivation. For example, one pupil notes, “Teachers always offer help and
encouragement, when you’re feeling down, they help you get back to being seen and motivated.”
Further findings from our analysis show that pupils feel particularly well-supported by masters when
they are struggling academically. Most of our pupil respondents (64%) report feeling “quite a bit” or
“very much” supported by masters when they are struggling with an academic concept (Figure 4).
Pupils value this support very much. One pupil talks passionately about how important it is to
“show the pupil that he has potential in a subject even if he isn’t doing well.” A robust proportion of
the staff (89%) who participated in our survey report they support boys “quite a bit” or “very much”
when they are struggling with an academic concept. Recognition of masters’ attentiveness to pupils
is expressed clearly in responses from pupils. One pupil shares, “…beaks are quick to support us if
we're struggling with something.” Another boy explains, “The school never comes down hard on
little mistakes, instead they support you with it and show you what you can do to develop yourself.”

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A deeper look at our data shows that masters are providing support by scaffolding pupils’ learning.
Pupils describe in their own words how masters encourage pupils to construct their own
understanding. A pupil describes this approach by saying that, “[Masters] challenge us to find the
right answer using as little help as possible.” Another pupil explains how a mathematics teacher uses
questioning to help pupils work through a problem: “My maths teacher does not tell anybody the
answer to a question they may have if he believes they know it. Instead, he tries to help them to
figure it out for themselves by asking questions.”

Figure 3. Masters show boys that they believe in their abilities to achieve their learning goals

Figure 4. Masters provide support when boys are struggling with an academic concept

Use Formative Assessment

Research indicates that formative assessment is an effective tool for harnessing pupil motivation and
developing perseverance in the learning process. 7 Formative assessment involves using ongoing
evaluations throughout the learning process to shape further instruction.8 This approach provides
pupils with assessments for learning rather than assessments of learning. Results from our study show

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that Eton is currently implementing several forms of formative assessment practices across the year
levels including goal-setting, frequent assessments, and effective feedback.9
Collaborative goal-setting is an important first step in formative assessment. Here a pupil explains
how Eton’s use of goal-setting can deepen motivation: “Eton helps provide suitable goals with
suitable rewards that help us be more motivated with our studies.” Pupils appreciate the level of
support received as they work towards goals as well: “[masters] keep allowing you to set targets and
support them in knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging ways.”
Another formative assessment practice that Eton uses is giving frequent assessments to inform
pupils of where they are in the learning process. One pupil eloquently explains, “[Eton] often
provides goal-orientated exercises to allow yourself to check how effectively you have learned a
topic; i.e., they give you tests after every section of the syllabus rather than just at the end of term.”
Eton pupils are cognizant of the benefits of using ongoing assessments to shape learning; as one
pupil puts it, “We are reminded that weekly learning (continuous small term assessments) will make
the learning process much easier and more effective.”
Finally, pupils remark that masters offer effective feedback on how they can improve and move
forward. For example, one pupil explains, “[Eton] gives you [the] freedom to try again and tells you
how to do it better.” Another pupil shares that one way he receives support to persevere in the
learning process is from “good feedback where areas for improvement are clearly highlighted.”
Together, emphasizing the role of effort and using formative assessment practices support pupils to
be motivated and to show perseverance in the face of challenges.

How can Eton further support the development of Motivation and Perseverance?

While the above section details how Eton fosters motivation and perseverance among pupils, our
analysis also identifies research-based practices known to support these skills that are currently less
prevalent across the school. Results suggest that Eton can further support the development of
motivation and perseverance by providing pupils with more choice in their schoolwork, highlighting
how classroom learning is relevant pupils’ lives outside school, and cultivating a growth mindset
across the year levels.

Provide Pupils with Choice

An extensive body of research demonstrates that when pupils experience a sense of autonomy in
their schoolwork, they tend to be more motivated.10 One key way to promote a sense of autonomy is
to offer pupils meaningful choice in their work so that their work resonates with their values and
interests.11 While Eton may support pupils’ autonomy in some ways, our research reveals that 42%
of pupils indicate that they have freedom of choice “not at all” or “a little bit” in their learning
process (Figure 5). With this finding we discover an opportunity for Eton to increase pupils’ sense
of autonomy.

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One way for Eton to enhance agency among pupils is to provide choice in the topic of academic
work assigned. In our survey, a large majority (83%) of pupils claim that masters provide them with
choice in the topic of their academic work “not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 6). Additionally, most
(64%) of participants on the survey of masters, support staff, and dames indicate that they provide
boys with choice in the topic of their EWs, projects, and other assignments “not at all” or “a little
bit.” Although Eton offers some opportunities for boys to choose the topic of their work, when
asked how Eton could further develop motivation among boys, numerous pupils explicitly request
more opportunities to choose the topic of their work. For example, a pupil explains how selecting
their own topic can lead to greater degree of motivation: “Give us more freedom in choices (e.g.
write essays on titles that we pick) as, because we are more passionate about the assignment, we
would be more motivated to complete it effectively.” Another pupil makes a similar suggestion:
“When doing a research project, allow a wider scope and more options of things to look up and
then each person explains to everyone else their part of the task/topic which they prefer.”
Similarly, another way to provide pupils with more autonomy is to offer choice in the medium of
their academic work. We observe 69% of our pupil respondents claiming that masters provide them
with choice in the medium of their academic work “not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 7). Likewise,
57% of the staff that were surveyed claim they provide boys with choice in the medium of their
EWs, projects, and other assignments “not at all” or “a little bit.”
Findings from our open-ended responses parallel this result. A pupil directly suggests varying the
medium of academic work: “perhaps give more choice on medium of EW from time to time. This
may however be practically difficult to carry out.” Another pupil offers a similar recommendation,
“More diverse activities and ways of presenting and getting information across, and EWs that aren't
always going over what has been done in the same format, e.g. always doing a poem and writing an
essay about it.” Responses from masters also raise the idea of providing pupils with more choice in
academic work in order to further develop motivation and perseverance. For example, here a master
suggests, “allow [pupils] greater freedom in some EWs for finding out things they want to find out.”

Figure 5. Boys have freedom of choice in their learning process

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Figure 6. Masters provide boys with choice in the topic of their EWs, projects, and other
assignments

Figure 7. Masters provide boys with choice in the medium of their EWs, projects, and other
assignments

Highlight How Classroom Learning is Relevant

Teachers can further support pupils’ motivation and perseverance by highlighting how classroom
learning is relevant to pupils’ lives outside school. Previous research demonstrates that pupils tend to
be more motivated when it is clear to them how their learning in school is related to their interests,
life outside school, and future. 12 We offer three strategies to encourage pupils to see how their
learning in school is relevant based on our research: ground classroom content in real world issues;
highlight how pupils may apply knowledge and skills learned now in their future beyond Eton; and
incorporate pupil interests into classroom instruction.
Masters can help pupils see the relevance of their learning by explicitly connecting academic content
to the real world. Our results show a discrepancy between pupils and staff on their perception of the
extent to which this occurs at Eton. Almost half (44%) of our pupil participants find that masters
connect classroom learning to the real world “not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 8). We find further

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emphasis on this in the open-ended responses from pupils. For example, one boy suggests, “Talk
about and explain relevant topics in the news [related] to the subject.” On the other hand, the vast
majority (80%) of staff indicate that masters connect academic content to the real world “quite a bit”
or “very much.” Given this discrepancy, we recommend masters make the connections between
academic content and the real world more explicit for pupils.
An additional approach Eton may take to deepen real-world relevance for pupils is to demonstrate
to pupils how the knowledge and skills they are building now may be applied in the future. When
pupils are asked how Eton can further support motivation and perseverance, a common suggestion
from pupils is to connect schoolroom content to their life beyond Eton. Boys make suggestions
such as, “discuss the effects of what I am learning,” “show us how skills learnt can be useful later
on,” and “teach things which will affect us in real life and help us in professions.”
Another way Eton can make learning more relevant is to support more deliberately pupils’ interests
in the main curriculum. While boys have many opportunities to pursue their passions in the co-
curriculum, we find 62% of pupils claim that masters incorporate their interests into schoolroom
instruction “not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 9). The distribution of responses from staff differs as
only 37% claim they incorporate boys’ interests into schoolroom instruction “not at all” or “a little
bit,” but we still see room for growth here. Incorporating interests emerges as a prominent theme in
the open-ended responses from pupils. A pupil reflects, “I feel that there could be a lot more effort
in terms of making people's learning experience more in line with their passions.” Other pupils make
suggestions such as, “incorporate more personal interests in an EW or assignment,” and “allow
more individuation in work to allow people to find their interests more readily.”

Figure 8. Masters connect schoolroom learning to the real world

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Figure 9. Masters incorporate boys’ interests into schoolroom instruction

Cultivate Growth Mindset Across the Year Levels

Pupils who have a growth mindset believe that they can improve their abilities through hard work.13
Previous research has established that explicitly teaching pupils about growth mindset (i.e., that their
abilities are malleable) promotes motivation and persistence.14 Our findings at Eton illustrate that
instruction around growth mindset is not yet implemented fully across the year levels (Figure 10).
When we examine our data at the year level, we find that the majority of pupils in each year group
report they have not received explicit instruction on growth mindset. The exception to this result is
with C Block, where we observe the majority of pupils indicating they have received instruction on
growth mindset. Eton can further support motivation and perseverance by explicitly teaching
growth mindset across the year levels. One way to do this is to have pupils who have already learned
about the concept teach pupils who are less familiar with it about it, which has been shown to be an
effective strategy for deepening the knowledge of both groups of pupils. 15 Some pupils already
advocate for teaching about growth mindset, with one pupil calling for explicit instruction about it:
“Talk about the growth mindset explicitly.”

Explicit instruction on growth mindset

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
Block F Block E Block D Block C Block B

No Yes

Figure 10. Pupils receive explicit instruction on growth mindset

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Another way Eton can support growth mindset is by emphasizing that mistakes are opportunities
for growth. One boy nicely captures this idea, urging masters to “encourage the idea of productive
failure.” Similarly, other boys discuss the value of helping boys see setbacks as “bumps in the road”
rather than roadblocks. For example, one pupil suggests, “help [boys] to see beyond setbacks”
during the learning process.
Research shows that another way to promote growth mindset, motivation and perseverance is to
teach pupils how the brain changes as we learn. 16 Results reveal a strong consensus among our
respondents that this is not currently a common practice at Eton. Among our pupil participants,
70% claim they have not learned about how the brain changes (Figure 11). Similarly, 73% of the
masters, support staff, and dames respond that they have not taught boys about how the brain
changes as you learn.

Figure 11. Pupils learn about how the brain changes as they learn

Happiness and Gratitude

How is Eton supporting the development of Happiness and Gratitude?

Through this research, we discover that Eton is implementing several research-based practices that
support students’ gratitude and happiness. The good work in this area has not gone unnoticed.
When pupils are asked how Eton could further support happiness and gratitude, several pupils make
comments such as, “not much – already doing enough!” and “I think they should just keep it up.”
The Eton community supports happiness and gratitude by cultivating positive relationships, encouraging
boys to be grateful, urging boys to exercise, and supporting boys to develop their passions. Below we share our
findings on how Eton is implementing these practices.

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Cultivate Positive Relationships

Research has shown time and time again that positive relationships are fundamental to happiness. In
fact, the most significant predictor of a person’s happiness is the quality of their relationships.17
Given this, it is essential for schools to create an environment in which positive relationships can
flourish across the school community. Our findings indicate that Eton shines at cultivating positive
relationships both between masters and boys and between boys.
The majority of pupils surveyed (56%) agree that masters build positive relationships with boys
“quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 12). Echoing this finding, most of the masters, supports staff,
and dames (87%), believe they “quite a bit” or “very much” build positive relationships with boys.
As one pupil shares, “One of the greatest things about this school is the relationships which may
develop between boys and beaks.” He goes on to mention that these positive relationships can
engender feelings of gratitude and encourage boys to express those feelings, noting, “[These
relationships] are so important for encouraging expression of gratitude.” Another pupil reflects a
similar sentiment, explaining one way that Eton supports happiness is that, “[Masters] build positive
connections with the class.” Masters, too, comment on the importance of positive relationships
between pupils and masters at Eton, with one remarking, “boys are encouraged to build good
relationships with adults both in and out of the schoolroom, showing gratitude for what is done for
them. Many of the adults in the community go 'the extra mile' for the boys and this is appreciated.”
Our survey results also demonstrate that Eton is cultivating positive relationships between boys.
Among our pupil respondents, most (51%) report that the Eton community encourages them to
build positive relationships with other boys “quite a bit” or “very much.” Similarly, the vast majority
of our masters, support staff, and dames (78%) report they encourage boys to build positive
relationships “quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 13). This perspective appears throughout the
open-ended responses across our whole sample. For example, a master notes, “Eton provides plenty
of time for boys to develop friendships.” The boys also remark on this support noting, “Eton is
pretty good at fostering good relationships between boys” with another sharing, “Teachers are
always making sure boys are kind to each other.”

Figure 12. Masters build positive relationships with boys

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Figure 13. Eton community encourages boys to build positive relationships

Encourage Boys to be Grateful

Research shows that practising gratitude increases how grateful one feels in various areas of one’s
life, which also boosts happiness.18 Our character study shows that masters at Eton support boys’
gratitude and happiness by encouraging them to be grateful as well as by modeling gratitude. In
addition, Eton provides boys with opportunities to volunteer, which pupils feel supports gratitude as
well.
Respondents on our surveys by and large agree that gratitude is encouraged at Eton. Around half of
the pupil participants (51%) and three-quarters (74%) of the staff indicate that Eton encourages
boys to be grateful “quite a bit” or “very much.” The open-ended responses suggest gratitude is part
of the ethos at the school. For example, a pupil explains, “Gratitude is expected at Eton which is
great at preparing you for the outside world.” Another pupil shares a similar observation: “I think
that overall everyone at the school has a great deal of respect for each other and the school
encourages pupils to express gratitude by returning favors or simply saying thank you.” Additionally,
a master comments on the presence of such encouragement, sharing, “I can think of individual
occasions in which members of staff encourage boys to say ‘thank you’ to people who have given
talks at society meetings.”
The survey responses also suggest that Masters encourage gratitude through modeling. For instance,
a pupil explains, “Masters thank you at the end of the lesson, encouraging you to thank them as
well.” Furthermore, we learn that pupils feel that a sense of gratitude is developed through
volunteering opportunities. For example, one pupil shares, “Through the work of charities and
various organizations the school supports, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude.” By
cultivating positive relationships and encouraging boys to be grateful, Eton supports pupils’
gratitude and happiness.

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Figure 14. Masters encourage boys to be grateful

Urge Boys to Exercise

Physical well-being is widely recognized as having an important influence on happiness. Research

has continued to exhibit positive correlations between physical exercise and mental health outcomes,
including happiness.19 Moreover, behavioral interventions that involve exercise routines have been
shown to increase happiness.20 We find resounding consensus among our participants that exercise
plays an important role in school life at Eton. Among our pupil respondents, 74% claim that Eton
encourages boys to exercise “quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 15). Nearly all of the staff
members we surveyed (94%) find that exercise is encouraged “quite a bit” or “very much.” Eton
supports exercise among pupils by offering ample options for sport. As one master observes, “[Eton
provides] good sports opportunities,” another noting, “[Eton provides time] to play sport.” In our
open-ended responses, we find a good understanding among the Eton community of the link
between exercise and happiness. For example, one boy notes, “I think that the school’s
encouragement of sport in general is healthy and leads us boys to happiness.” Reflecting on ways in
which Eton supports happiness and gratitude, one master points out, “boys are encouraged to
exercise both individually and in teams which helps keep the mind healthy.”

Figure 15. Eton encourages boys to exercise

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Support Boys to Develop their Passions

Schools can support pupils’ happiness by guiding pupils to pursue their passions and the work they
find meaningful.21 Our survey findings show that 56% of pupils indicate that Eton supports boys to
develop their passions “quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 16). As one pupil explains, “They
encourage us to strive to be the best we can and encourage us to pursue things we are interested in.”
An even larger proportion (90%) of the respondents on the masters, support, staff, and dames
survey believe that Eton supports boys’ passions “quite a bit” or “very much.”
One of the most prominent ways Eton helps boys develop their passions is through offering a
diverse array of activities. Both pupils and masters alike comment extensively on this characteristic
of Eton when discussing how Eton supports the development of happiness. For example, one boy
explains, “You always have the chance to find something you are interested in, be it sport, music,
reading, the arts and beyond.” Another boy also notes that Eton provides “a wide range of activities
so that there is something for everyone – so many opportunities.” In addition, many comments
from masters note the significant variety offered at Eton. Here one master observes, “[Eton
provides] fabulous facilities and expertise on tap to pursue interests and develop talents.”

Figure 16. Eton community supports boys to develop their passions

How can Eton further support the development of Happiness and Gratitude?

In the above section, we demonstrate how Eton is supporting happiness and gratitude by cultivating
positive relationships, encouraging boys to be grateful, urging boys to exercise, and supporting boys to develop their
passions. In addition to keeping up with these approaches, to further support the development of
happiness and gratitude, we recommend that Eton provide structured opportunities for boys to practise
gratitude, offer opportunities to practise mindfulness, encourage boys to reflect on their accomplishments, and support
boys to shape negative thoughts into a positive path forward. Below we discuss our findings for each of these
practices.

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Provide Structured Opportunities for Boys to Practise Gratitude

While our results indicate that Eton encourages boys to be grateful in many tacit ways as discussed
above, our results suggest that there are few structured opportunities for pupils to show
appreciation. We observe that 76% of boys find that their masters “never” or “rarely (1x a term)”
provide structured opportunities for boys to show appreciation, and 62% of our staff respondents
indicate that they “never” or “rarely (1x a term)” provide structured opportunities for boys to show
appreciation (Figure 17). Research indicates that practising gratitude in structured ways not only
deepens a sense of gratitude across many areas of life, but also boosts happiness.22 We therefore
recommend that Eton provides pupils with structured ways to practise gratitude, including inviting
boys to keep a gratitude journal, write thank you notes, and reflect on what they have going well in
their life.
A well-established approach for practising gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal in which one
reflects regularly on aspects of one’s life for which one is thankful.23 We find that this practice is not
yet in place at Eton as nearly all of our participants claim that boys do not currently keep a gratitude
journal. Specifically, we find that 96% of pupils indicate they are not asked to keep a gratitude
journal and 94% of staff indicate that they “never” ask boys to keep a gratitude journal (Figure 18).
The act of writing thank you notes not only promotes an atmosphere of appreciation within a
community, but also deepens one’s own sense of gratitude and happiness.24 While there is not robust
agreement among the staff on the regularity of this practice, a large majority of boys (72%) find that
this practice happens “never” or “rarely (1x a term)” (Figure 19). Overall, these results suggest there
is room for growth with this practice. One pupil notes that staff do encourage this practice, but they
could emphasize its importance even more: “If you go on a tutorial outing or to a society supper,
you are encouraged (not enough) to write a card or email.”
Eton can further support gratitude by providing structured experiences for boys to reflect on what
they have going well in their life.25 Our quantitative and qualitative findings show that the majority of
pupils (76%) and staff (53%) find that pupils are “never” or “rarely (1x a term)” asked to reflect on
what they have going well in their life (Figure 20). In the open-ended responses on the surveys, we
find pupils requesting more discussion and reflection time for these purposes. For example, one
pupil suggests, “have more discussions (e.g. in tutorials) about things we enjoy/have enjoyed” while
another makes a similar request: “have more time to be mindful and just pause and reflect on how
things are going.” Pupils recognize how important it is to feel and practise a sense of gratitude in
their life. Here a pupil reflects on this, stating, “Though I feel that it is a blindingly obvious point in
such a privileged school such as Eton, there are absolutely no moments where we are asked to think
along these lines.”

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Figure 17. Masters provide boys with structured opportunities to show appreciation

Figure 18. Boys are asked to keep a gratitude journal

Figure 19. Masters ask boys to write thank you notes or cards

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Figure 20. Masters provide structured opportunities for boys to reflect on what they have going well
in life

Offer Opportunities for Boys to Practise Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices offer a wide range of benefits to various aspects of well-being, including stress
reduction, emotional regulation, and self-compassion, among others. Recent research has shown
that engaging in mindfulness practices is also a predictor of happiness.26 We find strong agreement
among the surveyed pupils, masters, support staff, and dames that providing time to practise
mindfulness could be more prevalent across the college. Eighty-two percent of pupils report that
masters “never” or “rarely (1x a term)” provide time to practise mindfulness (Figure 21). Similarly,
79% of staff claim that they “never” or “rarely (1x a term)” provide pupils with an opportunity to
practise mindfulness. Interestingly, in the open-ended responses, many pupils request that Eton
offers more mindfulness opportunities to support happiness. For example, one pupil recommends,
“more time for mindfulness and specific relaxation in the half.” Another pupil makes a similar
suggestion, “[More] emphasis on helping the mind and body relax, especially in the evenings. The
yoga brought in at the end of last term was a good example of the number of boys wanting to do
this but how limited it is at school.” Many boys find mindfulness practices to be effective at
reducing stress, with one noting, “breathing exercises for 30 seconds-ish does really help with
stress.”

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Figure 21. Masters provide boys with time to practise mindfulness

Encourage Boys to Reflect on their Successes

Research indicates that recognizing one’s accomplishments through ongoing reflection can lead to
greater sense of happiness.27 While the responses from staff are quite split regarding how often they
ask boys to reflect on their successes, we find agreement in boys’ responses (Figures 22 and 23). The
majority of boys (68%) in our sample report that they are “not at all” or “a little bit” asked to reflect
on their successes in life. Similarly, most boys (55%) also say they are “not at all” or “a little bit”
asked to reflect on their successes at Eton. These findings suggest there is room for deepening a
regular practice of reflecting on accomplishments in one’s life and at Eton. Boys and masters note
this in their short-answer responses. For example, one boy calls for more routine around
acknowledging accomplishments, suggesting, “Remind us occasionally how far we have come.”
Likewise, a master makes a similar recommendation: “Focus on what [boys] have done right instead
of what they may have done wrong (within reason).” Given these findings, Eton may consider
implementing a way for boys to reflect on their successes both in life and at Eton.

Figure 22. Masters ask boys to reflect on their accomplishments in life

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Figure 23. Masters ask boys to reflect on their accomplishments at Eton

Support Boys to Shape Negative Thoughts into a Positive Path Forward

Research in neuroscience demonstrates that when individuals reframe negative thoughts into a
positive path forward, it is correlated with changes in the brain that are associated with a more
positive emotional experience. 28 While most of the staff members (52%) report that they are
supporting boys to shape negative thoughts into a positive path forward “quite a bit” or “very
much,” their support in this area may often go unnoticed, as boys express a different perception
regarding the extent to which this practice takes place. Most of the pupils surveyed (52%) indicate
they have support in shaping negative thoughts into a positive path forward “not at all” or “a little
bit” (Figure 24). Both boys and masters suggest this practice in the open-ended responses. For
example, a boy offers the following recommendation for how Eton can further support happiness:
“focus on making negative experiences positive and allow us to reflect.”

Figure 24. Masters support boys in shaping negative thoughts into a positive path forward

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Respect

How is Eton supporting the development of Respect?

We find several research-based approaches known to support respect at Eton. Specifically, Eton is
actively fostering respect by encouraging boys to respect differences in perspectives, beliefs, and
backgrounds, and establishing boundaries for respect. In this section, we provide our findings which
include examples of how Eton is implementing these approaches.

Support Boys to Respect Differences in Perspectives, Beliefs, and Backgrounds

Creating a culture of respect begins with engendering a capacity to respect differences between those
in the school community. 29 We find that Eton supports a culture of respect across the school
specifically by encouraging pupils to respect differences in perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds.
The vast majority of pupils (62%) and staff (84%) report that respect for differences in perspectives
is encouraged at Eton “quite a bit” or “very much” (Figure 25). Many participants emphasized that
Eton encourages boys to be open to different points of view in group discussions. One pupil
describes how respect for different points of view is cultivated through debate, explaining, “In a
debate, during a scenario where there isn’t a right or wrong answer, one is not discouraged to share
their view and others tend to be taught to respect that point of view.” Another boy shares that this
practice of respect is consistent across lessons, stating, “We are encouraged to respect each other’s
ideas and points in almost every div.”
We find consensus among our participants that Eton encourages boys to respect differences in
beliefs. Among the pupils, 60% find that masters “quite a bit” or “very much” encourage respect for
different beliefs. Furthermore, 81% of our staff respondents indicate that they “quite a bit” or “very
much” encourage respect for differences in beliefs among pupils (Figure 26). A pupil shares in his
own words, “[In] divinity [we talk] about respecting beliefs and understanding not everyone thinks
like you.”
Finally, our results demonstrate that Eton supports boys to respect different backgrounds. Most
pupils (57%) indicate that masters “quite a bit” or “very much” support them to respect differences
in backgrounds. The majority of participants on the masters, support staff, and dames survey (80%)
also agree that masters “quite a bit” or “very much” support boys to respect different backgrounds
(Figure 27). Put simply by one pupil, “Eton teaches well about the values of respect, especially for
those who are different to you.” Eton fosters a culture of respect for different backgrounds by
providing opportunities for pupils to build relationships with people from different backgrounds.
Here a pupil explains, “In my house there is a scheme where we invite members of the wider Eton
community to lunch… it teaches people to respect them.” With this practice, pupils have the
opportunity to get to know members of the community from different socioeconomic and cultural
backgrounds, which nurtures mutual respect. By encouraging pupils to consider different points of

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view and build relationships with people from different backgrounds, Eton builds a community
characterized by respect.

Figure 25. Masters support boys to respect different perspectives

Figure 26. Masters support boys to respect different beliefs

Figure 27. Masters support boys to respect different backgrounds

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Establish Boundaries for Respect

In the survey responses, the Eton community emphasizes that establishing a set of boundaries and
expectations for how to treat one another is an important step for creating a foundation of respect
in a community.30 Respondents often discuss how setting such expectations and holding individuals
to these standards creates a sense of trust. In observation of the responses from our surveys, we find
that Eton is fostering respect by correcting pupils on disrespectful behavior. The vast majority of
pupils (74%) find that masters correct disrespectful behavior amongst the boys “quite a bit” or “very
much.” Put simply by one pupil, “Beaks correct boys when they aren’t being respectful.” Similarly,
we find that nearly all of the staff (91%) believe they correct boys when they witness behaviors of
disrespect “quite a bit” or “very much.”
The open-ended responses portray a commitment to expectations and follow-through in regard to
treatment of others. As one pupil explains, “There are sanctions in order to make sure you know
that disrespecting is wrong, in and out of school.” Another pupil explains that there is a good level
of follow-through in holding boys to these expectations: “Our housemaster will call out
disrespectful behavior and deals with complaints very seriously. He constantly encourages boys to be
respectful and this is to a fair degree carried out by the boys of the house.” Another pupil comments
on the degree of accountability, “there is simply a very enforced set of rules to follow which
disciplines us to respect.” With these results, we find that Eton is supporting respect by setting
expectations and following through with accountability when boys fall short of the guidelines that
have been set.

Figure 28. Masters correct disrespectful behavior among boys

How can Eton further support the development of Respect?

In this study, we learn that Eton is fostering respect by supporting pupils to respect differences in perspectives,
beliefs, and backgrounds as well as by establishing boundaries for respect. Our analysis also reveals two ways
in which Eton can further support respect across the college. Specifically, we recommend Eton
deepen its practice around reflecting on what it means to be respectful and encouraging boys to connect with pupils

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outside their circle of friends. Below we offer examples of approaches Eton may consider taking to
deepen respect among pupils.

Reflect on What it Means to be Respectful

Engaging in explicit and ongoing dialogue about what respect means is an effective way to generate
an understanding of and an atmosphere of respect in the school setting.31 We learn in our surveys
that there could be more explicit discussion around what respect means. Among our pupil
respondents, we find that 53% claim that masters “not at all” or “a little bit” explicitly discuss with
them what it means to be respectful. One boy even suggests, “Explain how to properly treat others.”
Our responses from staff show less congruity on the frequency of explicit discussions around what
respect means, but we still see over half (54%) indicating that they carry out this practice “not at all,”
“a little bit” or “somewhat” (Figure 29). One member of staff reflects on this in the open-response
section noting, “[There is] no definition between the adults (teachers, dames, support staff) what
respect means, nor reflection on what respect should be within the Eton community.”
One way that Eton may structure dialogue around respect is to develop a definition of respect in
collaboration with boys. We find 63% of pupils reporting that they have never developed an explicit
definition of what respect means in any of their Eton school experiences. Similarly, 76% of
respondents on the masters, support staff, and dames survey indicate that they have never done this
with pupils (Figure 30). One member of the staff suggests having more dialogue around respect as a
way to further support respect across the school, stating, “engage boys in dialogue far more.”
Another approach Eton could take in their discussions with boys about respect would be to prompt
boys to articulate ways in which they can show respect toward others. In our survey, 60% of pupils
report they are asked to articulate the ways in which they can show respect toward others “not at all”
or “a little bit.” Furthermore, nearly half (48%) of the staff indicate they ask boys to articulate how
they can show respect toward others “not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 31). The following
suggestion from a staff member calls for this practice: “discuss how to be respectful and why it is
important.” These findings demonstrate that Eton may deepen its culture of respect by engaging in
explicit discussion around what respect means, developing a definition of respect in collaboration
with boys, and by asking boys to articulate ways in which they can show respect towards others.

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Figure 29. Masters explicitly discuss with boys what it means to be respectful

Figure 30. Masters develop a definition of what respect means in collaboration with boys

Figure 31. Masters ask boys to articulate ways in which they can show respect toward others

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Encourage Boys to Connect with Pupils Outside their Circle of Friends

An effective way to cultivate respect for others is to connect directly with individuals outside of your
circle of friends. Expanding connections with others can open new channels of understanding and
lead to deeper respect across the community. 32 We find that pupils at Eton could be more
encouraged to connect with pupils outside their circle of friends. Among the pupils we surveyed,
55% of boys feel that masters encourage them to connect with pupils outside their circle of friends
“not at all” or “a little bit” (Figure 32). While our responses from staff to the multiple-choice
question on this topic are more varied, encouraging boys to connect more with others emerges as a
prominent theme in the open-ended responses from staff. Another staff member notes, “we have
quite a number of boys who glide through school life with very little real knowledge or interest in
anyone other than themselves and immediate circle of friends.” Here a staff member suggests, “even
more frequent, meaningful engagement with students from partner schools” as a way to further
develop respect in boys at Eton. Finally, another staff member suggests, “more structured activities
around showing respect for all different people in the Eton community.”

Figure 32. Masters encourage boys to connect with pupils outside their circle of friends

Conclusion
Through this work with the research team at RSI, Eton is ensuring that they are intentionally
nurturing the character skills and dispositions most central to their community. By implementing the
research-based practices discussed above, educators at Eton are supporting pupils to grow into
individuals who are motivated and persevere in the face of challenges, who are grateful and happy,
and who are respectful of different perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds.

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Acknowledgments
This report was authored by Catherine Glennon and Dr. Christina Hinton. Our RSI team would like
to extend our gratitude to Jonnie Noakes and Dr. Iro Konstantinou for their excellent collaboration
in this research.

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