Introduction: Autonomous learning is recognized as a relevant competency linked to metacognition; essential for initial teacher training. Universities have redesigned their curricula in search of the development of higher level skills, which demands more authentic forms of evaluation that promote organization, decision making, planning, permanent and systematic evaluation, such as the portfolio. Objective: To identify the perceptions of physical education pedagogy students on the use of strategies for autonomous learning through the use of the portfolio and the valuation of the teacher's role in the formative processes. Methodology: Mixed research design applying the questionnaire of strategies for autonomous work to 20 students and analyzing their written essays in an integrated manner. Results: there is a low development of autonomous learning, with the least valued strategy being planning and the best valued being participation; the role of the teacher is significantly valued in relation to formative evaluation, although not in the grading system used. Conclusions: autonomous learning is key for teacher training. In future interventions, the introduction and diagnosis of experiential processes should be improved, tasks should be reduced and made more complex, and a better grading system should be implemented. Methodologically, it is proposed to work with longitudinal samples to deepen autonomous learning and the use of portfolios.