Making Quantum Accessible: A Seven-Category Framework for K-12 Quantum Education

TL;DR

The paper maps current pre-tertiary quantum education methods through a literature review and expert interviews, and presents a seven-category framework (Historical Development, Defamiliarisation, Quantum Picturalism, Spin First, Many Paths, Game-Based, Einstein-First) to classify teaching approaches. It analyzes the advantages and limitations of each method and discusses practical implications for curriculum design and teacher preparation. The work enables educators to select diverse, accessible strategies, preventing reinvention while highlighting gaps and areas for integration. It also suggests extending the framework to a two-dimensional model that aligns content with instructional methods. Overall, the study offers a structured, evidence-informed resource to broaden and improve K–12 quantum education.

Abstract

We conducted a literature review and expert interviews to determine the most common methods being used to teach quantum physics and quantum computing concepts to primary and secondary students. Based on the findings of this review, we provide a framework of seven categories of teaching approaches for teaching mathematically accessible quantum concepts; they are Defamiliarization, Quantum Picturalism, Spin-First Approach, Einstein-First Approach, Many Paths Approach, Historical Development Approach and Game-based Quantum Learning. We summarise each of these teaching methods and overview their advantages and disadvantages of each method. Our framework makes it easy for physics educators to embrace the diverse methods of teaching quantum physics and quantum computing at the primary and secondary level.

Figures (10)

• Figure 1: An overview of the key topics explored through the Historical Development Approach in secondary schools Bitzenbaur2021Effect.
• Figure 2: Diagram from Something Deeply Hidden Carroll2021Something used to explain the Many Worlds interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.
• Figure 3: Illustration of phase arithmetic using ZX-calculus spiders, adapted from 'Quantum in Pictures' Coecke2023Quantum. The image depicts the 'fuse' rule, where two connected spiders combine. The upper $180^\circ$ spider acts as a toggle operator on the lower spider's phase: it flips a $0^\circ$ phase to $180^\circ$, and a $180^\circ$ phase to $360^\circ$ (equivalent to $0^\circ$).
• Figure 4: This is a diagram of a quantum circuit, represented through the gate based model Coggins2019Performing. On the y-axis there are qubits labeled with names such as $q_0$, with a control qubit at the bottom. The x-axis can be thought of as time where the different gates are applied to qubits in the indicated order.
• Figure 5: Image of a Bloch Sphere which is used to represent the qubit state vectors Shetty2025Visualising. Specifically this diagram details the X Gate rotation which rotates a vector by 180 degrees around the X-axis. The specific vector expressions for states which lie on the axes are shown.