The School of Education’s Critical Quantitative (CritQuant) Research Group is a groundbreaking collective of faculty and students dedicated to challenging and reimagining traditional research methodologies in education.
By integrating critical theory with quantitative methods, the CritQuant Group aims to address social inequities and systemic injustices in education and related fields.
Critical quantitative inquiry (CritQuant) is a way of using quantitative data to study education in a critical way that questions and challenges existing ideas. It analyzes quantitative data to uncover inequities and identify how social or institutional processes perpetuate systematic disparities (Answering Critical Questions Using Quantitative Data, Frances K. Stage, 2007). CritQuant also questions the models, measures, and analytic processes used in traditional quantitative research, offering alternative models, measures, and practices that better represent the experiences of those who have been inadequately represented.
Lolita A. Tabron’s and Amanda K. Thomas’ (2023) review of critical quantitative approaches in education highlights that many educational researchers have adopted CritQuant to examine how schools sometimes focus on students’ deficits rather than their assets. These researchers have attempted to design more authentic assessments and develop instructional strategies that empower students and honor their strengths.
A central part of this group’s work includes QuantCrit, a framework that has seen rapid and expansive application in educational research since a Race, Ethnicity, and Education special issue published in 2018. QuantCrit utilizes the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to challenge structural inequities and power imbalances, including racism, ableism, and sexism.
While related to other critical approaches to quantitative education research, such as CritQuant, which applies CRT to analyze systematic deficiencies influencing individuals unfairly, QuantCrit specifically focuses on illuminating and disrupting racial injustice.
Typically, the CritQuant Research Forum meets every other Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m., offering both in-person and Zoom options. These sessions provide an inclusive, informal space for:
The CritQuant Group actively fosters a supportive community for emerging scholars and researchers committed to social justice, engaging in projects that emphasize ethical data practices and equitable outcomes.
Aligned with SOE’s 2023 Academic Strategic Plan, our members are involved in cutting-edge research initiatives, contributing to the growing movement to use quantitative research as a tool for societal transformation.
