Abstract
This methodology paper considers the prospects for quantizing qualitative inquiry in the context of equity and program evaluation. This paper first examines how quantum logics have been applied to the social sciences. Quantum logics refers to a set of generalizations, or rules, that embrace uncertainty and relationality, challenging the linear causality of traditional social science. Then, it reflects upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the local community as a site to reframe findings and methods through the lens of quantum logic. For example, schools may be understood as quantum systems, co-constituted and rhizomatic communities shaped by entanglement and relationality. In conclusion, this paper elucidates the possible conditions in which quantum logic might be strategically and selectively employed in program evaluation with local stakeholders, potentially toward a more equitable allocation of resources.
Author Bio(s)
Nicole Weinberg is from North Richland Hills, Texas. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, Nicole completed her MA in Education, Health Promotion and International Development from the University College London Institute of Education. Her professional background includes early childhood education and non-profit initiatives in London, Tanzania, Austin, and Fort Worth. She is currently a second year doctoral student in Curriculum Studies as well as a graduate assistant in the Center for Public Education and Community Engagement. Her research interests includeearly childhood/elementary teacher education, play as pedagogy, feminist qualitative inquiry, and racial diversity and equity in education. Please direct correspondence to nicole.k.griffin@tcu.edu
Gabriel Huddleston, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Advisor of Curriculum Studies at Texas Christian University. He teaches classes in curriculum studies and qualitative inquiry. His work in curriculum studies utilizes a Cultural Studies theoretical framework within qualitative research to examine intersections between schools and society. His other research interests include popular culture, spatial theory, new materialism, and postcolonial studies. He taught high school theatre for five years in Indianapolis, IN. Gabriel currently serves as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing and the Program Chair of the AERA SIG, Critical Issues in Curriculum and Cultural Studies.
Garrison Daly is pursuing a PhD in Curriculum Studies alongside an MD at TCU. Her research focus is on critical pedagogy, educational equity, and the sociopolitical dimensions of curriculum design. Her research engages in creative and theory-driven work that reimagines medical education through metaphor, narrative, and speculative design. By developing interdisciplinary projects that blend critical theory with imaginative formats, her work interrogates the hidden curriculum, disrupts normative structures of medical training, and invites more humanizing, inclusive, and justice-centered possibilities for teaching and learning in clinical education and beyond.
Molly Weinburg, Professor, Director of Andrews Institute for Research in Mathematics & Science Education, Andrews Chair of Mathematics and Science Education, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Recommended APA Citation
Weinberg, N., Huddleston, G., Daly, G., & Weinburg, M. (2026). Emergent methodologies: Quantum qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 31(1), 4962-4974. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2026.7558
