In recent years, educational researchers as well as practitioners in Germany, Europe and other countries have been striving for positive changes in schools and education. The aim was to further develop schools, professionalize teachers and thus increase the quality of education overall. The skills required by schools and teachers to implement these changes are complex in nature and overwhelming in number. As a consequence, a large number of so-called change agents have mobilized themselves in order to expand the capacities of schools and teachers (Tajik 2008). In the literature, one can find more than a dozen titles that describe change agents: They are referred to as consultants, linking agents, external actors, education officers or supervisors (Rust & Freidus 2001). Change agents are “special ‘assisters’ …, people with a ‘licence to help’” (Miles, Saxl & Lieberman 1988) who are not part of the teaching staff of the school seeking advice.

According to their regular occupation change agents are either part of the school system (i.e. as (former) teachers or principals, members of the public control system and quality assurance institutes) or from external areas such as management consultancies (Dedering, Goecke & Rauh 2010).

By now it is not sufficiently investigated in which way the change agents’ specific professional background is related to the organisation and course of consultancy processes in schools: Does the change agents necessarily have to be part of the school system to be accepted and to initiate and accompany the further development of schools and the professionalization of teachers? Or is it, on the contrary, more beneficial if this is even not the case? Which skills are necessary and which effects of existing or missing competencies can be identified?

These questions are part of a larger empirical study which is – funded by the German Research Foundation – currently (2009 to 2012) being conducted at Bielefeld University (Germany). The main focus of the research project is on the change agents’ activities that aim to stimulate and accompany school development processes. The following research questions should be answered:

• What are the forms of the change agents’ activities and in what context are they embedded?
• In what ways do the activities of change agents initiate and accompany development processes at schools?
• In how far do change agents, as a result, contribute to the further development of schools and the professionalization of teachers?

The results are intended to clear these questions and to contribute to the development of a general theory of school development.  

Dedering, K., Goecke, M. & Rauh, M. (2010). Externe Schulentwicklungsberatung in Nordrhein-Westfalen – Grundinformationen. Universität Bielefeld. Miles, M., Saxl, E. & Lieberman, A. (1988). What skills do educational change agents need? An empirical view. Curriculum Inquiry, 18 (2), 157-193. Rust, F. O‘C. & Freidus, H. (Ed.), Guiding School Change: The role and work of Change Agents (pp. 136-154). New York: Teachers College Press. Tajik, M.A. (2008). External Change Agents in developed and developing countries. Impro-ving Schools, 11 (3), 251-271.