This paper addresses one of the greatest challenges facing education systems globally, that of making progress in relation to inclusion and equity in schools. Building on the findings of a programme of international collaborative action research carried out over the last twenty years, it reports on a pilot study carried out in Uruguay using professional learning materials developed by UNESCO. This points to the potential of a strategy for moving thinking and practice forward based on a collaborative action research approach. At the same time if shows how attempts to introduce the strategy have thrown light on local cultural and structural barriers that limited its implementation. Drawing on this analysis, the paper makes recommendations for future developments in Uruguay. It then concludes by arguing that the strategy could be used in other countries to identify factors that are limiting progress in order to develop more effective interventions.