The extension of inclusion in schools in Germany is a demonstrable challenge and can lead to different strains. The responsibility rests here especially with the school management such that the school management needs to initiate and organise the relevant school development processes by also taking into account health factors. The project analyses school development processes for the implementation of school-related inclusion from the headmasters’ perspective. On the assumption that the successful implementation of any inclusive practice is largely dependent on school leaders being positive about it, a great deal of research has sought to mainly examine teachers' attitudes towards the integration and, more recently, the inclusion of children with special educational needs in the mainstream school. We have less information on the attitudes of headmasters towards inclusion. Moreover inclusive school development in Germany differs considerably from federal state and from the type of school . The research design contemplates a combination of different data collection methods. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods is foreseen for the purposes of collecting diversified and depth knowledge about attitudes of headmasters towards inclusion. As a first step, a written standardized survey will be made 6 to 8 federal states with headmasters as the addressees. Such survey will be quantitative orientated and serve, as a second step, as a basis and reference point for a depth and qualitative orientated case study at different schools in different federal states of Germany. For the purposes of the case studies, guided interviews and discussion in groups will be made. The presentation gives a first insight into the complex research design of this third-party funded project (2015 – 2017). The development of the instrument to measure attitudes of headmasters towards inclusion will be presented.

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