Based on our experience as a teacher of educators and supervisor of professional practice, I will present an approach to the development of professional autonomy, in pre-service education of Kindergarten teachers, based on the use of reflective, collaborative supervision journals as a teacher development strategy. The use of journals as reflective narratives of experience aims at amplifying educational knowledge, for it includes the development of pedagogical inquiry (Clandinin, 1992). The collaborative dimension aims at fostering social and professional critical awareness, thus increasing the possibilities of participated and co-constructed teacher development processes to occur. I will describe an interpretative case study, on initial Kindergarten teacher education in order to illustrate the value of collaborative narratives of experience, by characterizing the different dimensions of the construction of knowledge that emerge from the student teachers’ writings. Using collaborative supervision journals presupposes systematic regulation of the learning process, so that problems and solutions, potentialities and constraints may be identified. Only then are we in a position to validate their benefits as a teacher development strategy on the road to certification and professional autonomy. Understanding evaluation as regulation of the learning processes includes the self-assessment of attitudes, representations, knowledge and beliefs. When self-assessment is undertaken in a context where everybody contributes to the intentional transformation of educational experiences by co-constructing knowledge, that is, via a dialogical process, the possibilities of success in the development of teacher autonomy will most likely be enhanced (Ribeiro, 2008; Moreira & Ribeiro, 2009). The aim of this research is to analyse the role that different participants (cooperating teachers, institutional supervisors and student teachers) play in the co-construction of pedagogical knowledge, through reflective dialogue on the participants’ perspectives on educational situations. It also aims at analyzing the potential of this training strategy in the construction and reconstruction of professional knowledge of all the actors. More specifically, the study intends to address the following objectives: (a) to identify dimensions in the discourse narrated by the different actors that illustrate that the co-construction of professional knowledge is taking place; (b) to understand the meaning that each participant attributes to the others’ action, the way they think and interpret the educational experiences through the practice of dialogic written reflection.

As regards methodology, an action research study was conducted in the school years of 2006-07 and 2007-08, articulating training and research strategies. The narratives of collaborative reflection within each teaching practice group (two student teachers, a cooperating teacher, and institutional supervisor) were subjected to content analysis, focused on the identification of dimensions of professional autonomy. The analysis showed the student teachers’ representations on the relevance of narratives of collaborative reflection in their professional training.

Five major dimensions of analysis were identified: co-construction of personal learning paths based on written dialogue; development of self-direction as regards questioning, understanding and acting at the level of educational practice; positive attitude towards the value of collaborative reflection in the (re)construction of personal meanings for pedagogical action; increased understanding of the ethical and democratic dimensions of reflection and action; construction of a transformative and emancipatory professional identity. The results obtained validate the educational value of collaborative narratives of experience as a teacher education strategy that moves beyond solitary writing towards solidary writing, in an attempt to enhance mutual support for professional autonomy.