Today, schools can no longer be contend to react and adapt to changes in society. Schools need to develop themselves in an active, conscious way. The pressure to continuously change has increased steadily, partly due to increased national and international testing and evaluating. In order to remain on top, schools need to develop a culture and work ethic that favors innovation and change. School leaders play a crucial role in this process. It has long been established that they are a key factor of successful innovation in school. However, the exact nature of said role has so far remained somewhat of a mystery. And for all the progress research has made, only few attempts have been made to describe school principals' actions and individual personalities in the context of innovation. This study, which is part of a doctoral thesis, aims at shedding some light on the matters mentioned above. I plan to visit several schools in France that have a reputation for innovation and for being different. These schools have also been managed by the same principals for several years. Using several instruments (observation, interviews, psychological personality assessment and documentary research where possible and necessary) I will try to biographically reconstruct recent and ongoing innovations at these schools. Furthermore, I will collect data about the way the principals interact with their colleagues and their work environment in order to manage change and develop their respective schools. I will also try to get a grasp of their views on lasting innovation and how they perceive their role in innovation processes. Lastly, I will try to assess how their individual personalities influence the innovation processes in these schools. French schools have been chosen primarily because there is a lack of knowledge in the German-speaking literature with regard to the French educational system in general, but even more so when it comes to “irregular” schools in France. Considering the close cultural, political and economical ties between Germany and France, this lack seems astounding and in dire need of improvement. This study is intended as a small first step to fill the gaps.

This dissertation follows an exploratory qualitative approach. It is planned to visit several (3-5) innovative schools in France and interview the principals and his/her “inner circle” (the persons in school he/she interacts with the most). The interviews will be semi-structured and revolve around retracing past and ongoing innovation processes in school, the involvement of the principals and their outspoken opinions towards said innovations and innovations in general. In addition, it is planned to use a quick standardized psychological personality inventory to gain additional data about the individuals who are interviewed (NEO FFI). The interviews will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis (Mayring). If available, selected documentations pertinent to the biographical reconstruction of the schools' innovation and the principals' involvement will also be analyzed using documentary research methods.

I hope that I can show through the reconstructed 'biographies of innovation' of each school how the school principals and their personal characteristics influence and shape innovation and change processes at their respective schools. Additionally, it is expected that these findings will lead to hypotheses and insights on the nature and role of school leaders' personalities and competences in the innovation process.