In international academic discourse, school development has increasingly attracted attention in response to growing demands for educational quality and, consequently, for systematic school quality management. In recent years, the concept of external school development counselling (SDC) has gained prominence, particularly in German-speaking countries (e.g., Kemethofer, Altrichter, & Brauckmann-Sajkiewicz, 2024; Dedering, Kamarianakis, & Racherbäumer, 2022; Jesacher-Rößler, 2022; Altrichter et al., 2021). This development is also reflected in Austria’s strategic objectives outlined in the development plan of the Universities of Teacher Education (UTE) for the period 2021–2026, as well as in the White Paper on the future orientation of SDC in Austria, which emphasises the substantial strengthening of SDC in the coming years (Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, 2019, 2021).

The National Education Report Austria 2021 (NERA, 2021) summarises the development and current practice of school development counselling (SDC) within the Austrian school system, formulates recommendations for action based on national and international research, and identifies key desiderata and starting points for further (Austrian) research. SDC is described as support for school development processes provided by actors external to the school, with the aim of enabling schools to engage independently and sustainably in their further development and to strengthen their capacity for self-regulation. Accordingly, SDC is conceptualised as an advisory service for school quality management, supporting both quality assurance and continuous school improvement (Altrichter et al., 2021).

The National Education Report Austria 2021 (NERA, 2021) further emphasises that, with “a few exceptions”, there is a lack of empirical studies on school development counselling (SDC) in Austria. In particular, it is noted that a descriptive mapping of the SDC landscape—such as those conducted in Germany (e.g., Dedering, Tillmann, Goecke, & Rauh, 2013; Adenstedt, 2016)—is still missing for the Austrian context. Moreover, several research desiderata are identified, including schools’ support needs as well as their attitudes towards and experiences with SDC, the methods applied within counselling processes, the modes of action and underlying processes of SDC, and the qualifications of counsellors (Altrichter et al., 2021).

The present contribution builds on the research desiderata identified in the National Education Report Austria 2021 (NERA, 2021). The study examines how key characteristics of school development counselling (SDC) are designed and how their quality is perceived in practice. In this context, the following research questions are addressed:

1. How is school development counselling organised across different types of Austrian schools?
2. What challenges and support needs emerge in the implementation of SDC in diverse school contexts?
3. How are the process quality, outcome quality, framework conditions, and success factors of SDC perceived from the perspectives of teachers, school development counsellors, and school principals?

Based on semi-structured interviews with teachers, school development counsellors, and school principals, this study examines the practical implementation and perceived effectiveness of school development counselling (SDC) in Austrian schools. The findings contribute to European and international debates on school quality management and the professional cooperation between school leadership, teaching staff, and external counsellors. In doing so, the study highlights how SDC can support schools in developing sustainable, self-regulated improvement processes while accounting for diverse school contexts. Furthermore, the results provide insights into conditions for successful SDC, such as the alignment of framework conditions, process design, and participants’ perspectives, offering lessons relevant for comparable educational systems internationally (Altrichter et al., 2021; Dedering et al., 2013).

This qualitative study (n = 54) investigates the organisation and perceived effectiveness of school development counselling (SDC) in Austrian schools. Sixteen schools were selected systematically using a “most diverse” sampling strategy based on a nationwide quantitative study. Principals, teachers, and school development counsellors were invited to participate voluntarily and anonymously via email. In total, 54 semi-structured interviews were conducted, fully transcribed, and digitally recorded, including 23 interviews with school counsellors, 16 with principals, and 42 with teachers (15 group interviews). The interviews lasted on average approximately 45 minutes and were conducted online. To address the research questions, a qualitative content analysis was applied at both the individual-case and cross-case levels, following the methodology outlined by Kuckartz and Rädiger (2024). The category system was initially constructed deductively, with clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and further refined through both deductive and inductive subcategories. The analysis followed a multi-stage, team-based approach. First, all interview transcripts were imported into MAXQDA. Approximately 25% of the material was coded as a preliminary sample to identify meaningful text passages and assign them to the main categories. When relevant aspects were not adequately captured by existing subcategories, new theory-driven inductive subcategories were added while maintaining the overarching deductive structure. Categories were continuously refined, merged, or expanded. To ensure transparency and reliability, all coding decisions, especially controversial ones, were discussed and agreed upon collaboratively within the research team.

In this article, the theoretical foundations and the approaches relevant to the research questions are first outlined. Following this structure, the study’s findings are presented with reference to the three research questions. The results provide insights into current challenges and support needs in Austrian schools, as well as how school development counselling (SDC) is organised, perceived, and assessed in terms of quality from the perspectives of school principals, teachers, and school development counsellors, taking into account context, utilisation, and outcomes. By integrating these multiperspective views, the study identifies conditions for successful SDC and discusses them in relation to international school management practices. The qualitative findings are broadly compatible with previous national and international research and address the desiderata formulated by Altrichter et al. (2021). Moreover, the study contributes to the European and international discourse on school quality management, professional collaboration, and the implementation of effective counselling processes. In particular, it highlights how structured, context-sensitive, and participatory SDC can support schools in fostering self-regulation, continuous improvement, and overall educational quality, offering lessons for comparable educational systems internationally (Altrichter et al., 2021; Dedering et al., 2013).

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