This paper reports on a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project involving three secondary teachers, aiming to develop their practice through peer support, co-ordinated by an Advanced Skills Teacher/Researcher, in a school in an area of social and economic disadvantage. The study investigated whether it was possible to shift lesson observations of teachers from a focus on performance to a focus on process and critical reflection, by placing dialogic talk at the
heart of the cycle, to support teacher development. This was reinforced by a research design that was also premised on dialogism, with teachers steering the action research to develop their practice, maintaining their agency. Qualitative research methods comprised sequential semi-structured observations, interviews and research journals, written throughout the project by all participants. The study concludes that the use of dialogic talk and a participatory model
of research in the contested area of lesson observations were effective in enabling teachers to develop their critical reflection and enhance their practice.