This paper describes a research project conducted by a Brazilian public university in partnership with an elementary school involved improving the quality of teaching and learning through an inservice teacher education program developed in the workplace. Project goals were to build a knowledge base of teachers' learning and professional development processes and to define when, where, and how participants would intervene in these processes. The project was characterized by the development, in collaboration with the school community, of intervention strategies allowing the construction and implementation of a pedagogical process shared by its members as well as the consolidation of professional autonomy among participating teachers. Data from teachers' oral and written reflections indicated that with time, teachers' narratives became more detailed, incorporating specific contents emphasized in the classroom. Teachers' thinking usually referred more directly to events than to conceptual explanations. Results highlighted the importance of developing pedagogical content knowledge to teachers' professional development, suggesting the need for time and effective learning opportunities so that teachers can rethink not only their role in the classroom but also their pedagogical practice, in order to overcome barriers related to construction of practices more compatible with student needs and principles supported by public policy. (Contains 27 references.) (SM)