| Summary: | Abstract: The influence on learning outcomes of interpersonal interaction amongst teachers, pupils and parents is the subject of an inquiry that took this researcher on a voyage from the qualitative to the quantitative side of the “methodological divide”, and back again. This paper presents findings from first phase of the research, which included a quantitative survey to examine how learning and teaching experience for violin pupils was influenced by the interpersonal dynamics of responsiveness and control, within pupilparent and pupil-teacher relationships. As part of the survey pupils were asked to draw pictures of their violin lessons. It was thought that the pictures might reveal pupils’ perceptions of their experience of learning an instrument and that the pictures would add depth to the quantitative scales that measured interpersonal mechanisms and pupil outcomes. The pictures were subjected to content analysis and coded accordingly. These codes were matched with pupil artists’ scores for control and responsiveness, as well as with their scores for outcomes that included enjoyment of music, personal satisfaction, self esteem, self efficacy, friendship, motivation and musical attainment. Analysis of variance was computed in order to test the null hypotheses that a) pupil-teacher-parent interpersonal behaviour (control and responsiveness) was not represented in their pictures and b) pupil outcomes were not reflected in their depictions of violin lessons. This paper presents the results of this analysis, thus addressing the question of whether the pictures could be accepted as telling a credible and coherent story about pupils’ perceptions of learning the violin.
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