Highlights from Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research, a Focused Collection of Physical Review Physics Education Research

Physical Review Physics Education Research is celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology with a focused collection of research articles that showcase insights and innovations in teaching quantum topics. Quantum as a subject is known to be challenging to teach and to learn due to its mathematical complexity, rich notation, and counterintuitive principles, yet progress is being made at all educational levels thanks to insights into student reasoning from qualitative and quantitative studies. Instructional contexts explored in this collection include high school interventions, undergraduate coursework, lab explorations, outreach programs, and interactive homework. Research into quantum-related sense-making, attitudes, literacy, and conceptual understanding offer rich insights for physics education researchers and practical recommendations for physics educators. This presentation, delivered by one of the focused collection's guest editors, reviews themes and highlights from these articles of interest to all physics educators.