David Pepper

David Pepper is a Senior Lecturer in International Education and Educational Assessment at King's College London, part of the School of Education, Communication & Society. He has held roles since 2005, including a part-time MRes and PhD in Education Research. His research focuses on educational assessment validity, international education systems, STEM education, and the sociological impacts of ability grouping in schools. He contributes to programs like the Executive MA International Education and supervises PhD students in related fields. His work addresses issues such as equitable teaching practices and the influence of educational policies in the UK and EU.

Education: PhD in Education Research (King's College London, 2014), MRes in Education and Social Science (King's College London, 2007).

Research Interests:

• Assessment validity and PISA methodologies
• Mixed attainment grouping impacts on student confidence and equity
• International education policies and comparative studies
• Teacher perceptions and classroom dynamics in secondary schools

Key Contributions: His research critiques the societal impacts of educational stratification and emphasizes evidence-based policy. Recent work includes analyses of PISA's validity framework and teacher constructions of student potential in lower attainment groups.

Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator on an OECD mathematics policy study (2010) and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Labs/Networks: Member of King’s International Education Research Network and the Centre for Public Policy Research, focusing on social justice in education policy.