This paper describes the application of correspondence analysis to transcripts gathered from focussed interviews about teaching and learning held with a small sample of child-care students, medical students and the students' teachers. Seven dimensions emerged from the analysis, suggesting that the knowledge that underlies students' learning intentions and actions is multi-dimensional and transactive. It is proposed that the multivariate, multidimensional, discovery approach of the correspondence analysis technique has considerable potential for data analysis in the social sciences. (Contains 6 figures and 7 tables.)