To understand why an individual is engaging in a particular behaviour during learning requires an investigation of subjective conceptions held by the learner. Historically, the research interview has been widely used as a means for gaining an insight into students' learning, and responses have been presented as explanations of how individuals learn. The aim of this paper is to challenge the assumption that interview accounts do represent, or can be presented as constituting, explanations of learners' behaviour. This is done by reviewing the literature on the use of interviews in student learning research and reporting the findings from interviews carried out in a UK university. From the responses given by the sample, it is apparent that the majority of those interviewed were unable to articulate how they learn, and relied on descriptive accounts of various activities associated with learning.