Epistemic aims and values of quantum computation in foundational research papers and implications for education

Journal article

As quantum technologies gain importance across scientific and societal domains, understanding the foundational principles driving their development is increasingly crucial. While much work has been devoted to defining essential knowledge and curriculum content for quantum technologies at various educational levels, less attention has been paid to how the Second Quantum Revolution is shaping the nature of quantum computation in terms of its foundational epistemic aims and values. The paper presents a conceptual account of the nature of quantum computation through document analysis of foundational research papers. Using the lens of the Family Resemblance Approach to the nature of science, it uncovers the core epistemic aims and values characterising the domain of quantum computation. By applying this analytical framework, the study identifies both pre-determined epistemic aims and values (e.g., objectivity, accuracy) and emergent sub-categories (e.g., materiality of information, efficiency) relevant to quantum computation. The document analysis contributes to the literature on nature of science in general and in the characterization of quantum computation as a domain in particular. Furthermore, the analysis brings to light implicit epistemic aims and values that guide practitioners in a scientific domain to the foreground, which often remain unarticulated in educational contexts. The findings include 17 instances of epistemic aims and values of quantum computation generated from an analysis of significant research papers in the field. By systematically generating these epistemic aims and values, the study provides a nuanced and explicit approach to characterising the nature of quantum computation, enabling educators to incorporate these themes into curriculum design, teaching, and learning. Some implications for quantum technologies education are discussed.

Authors: Satanassi, S; Erduran, S

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Journal: Physical Review Physics Education Research
• Acceptance date: 2026-02-24
• EISSN: 2469-9896
• Language: English
• Keywords: quantum technologies education; family resemblance approach; nature of science; epistemology of science; document analysis; quantum computation