Introduction or preface

This paper explores contributions from autobiographical approaches to promote experiential and reflective learning. After a presentation on the development and current debates regarding Life History methodologies, I will present my proposal of educational autobiography, a tool rooted from the paradigm Histoires de vie en formation. Subsequently I will focus on genealogical trees as a process to enhance critique, reflection, and sociocultural analysis on history, society, culture, the family and learning. Life histories are useful for the creation of motivating learning processes, centered on the lives of students and favoring an integrating education of cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions.