Too Quant to Crit? Advancing QuantCrit Methodologies in Educational Psychology

For educational psychology to be leveraged for the greater good and the creation of anti-racist bodies of knowledge, the value systems and patterns of thinking that undergird quantitative approaches require a re-orientation. In this paper, we critique quantitative educational psychologists' reliance on objectivity and neutrality by drawing attention to methodological trauma and describing tenets of QuantCrit as an alternative approach. Specifically, we discuss the importance of 1) the centrality of racism, 2) numbers are not neutral, 3) categories are neither natural nor given, 4) voice and insight, and 5) a social justice and equity orientation (Gillborn et al., 2018). When appropriate, we highlight empirical examples aligned with these principles to provide methodological guidance for transforming quantitative research in the field. We end with recommendations for engaging in this work toward a more just and equitable research agenda for educational psychology.