Alejandra Miranda

Alejandra Miranda

Alejandra Miranda

I am a researcher specialising in educational measurement and assessment. My expertise includes test development, psychometric methods, and statistical analyses relevant to educational research. My interests focus on advancing practices in educational measurement and test development to promote fairness, with an emphasis on integrating culturally responsive features into assessments.

I hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Economics from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and am a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology with a focus on Quantitative Methods in Education at the University of Minnesota.

At Cambridge University Press and Assessment, my recent projects have included evaluating the utility of expert judgement in grade awarding, exploring alternative methods to award GCSE grades, producing statistical reports on the provision and uptake of high-stakes examinations, and analysing international assessment data.

Before joining CUP&A, I worked at diverse organisations including Lyons Assessment Consulting, the Individual Growth and Development Indicators lab at the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Youth Development Research Group, and Search Institute. In Peru, I worked at the Ministry of Development and Inclusion, and the Group for the Analysis of Development, where I contributed to the Young Lives study, a longitudinal research project conducted in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam.

Outside of work I enjoy photography, travelling, trying new food, and cooking Peruvian dishes.

Publications

2026

Post-16 qualification pathways in England: combinations of Level 3 academic and vocational qualifications uptake by students’ backgrounds
Miranda, A. (2026). Post-16 qualification pathways in England: combinations of Level 3 academic and vocational qualifications uptake by students’ backgrounds. Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Post-16 qualification pathways in England: uptake of Level 2 and Level 3 academic and vocational qualifications by students’ backgrounds
Miranda, A. (2026). Post-16 qualification pathways in England: uptake of Level 2 and Level 3 academic and vocational qualifications by students’ backgrounds. Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Gaps in foundation mathematics understanding among 16-year-olds in England

Miranda, A. (2026). Gaps in foundation mathematics understanding among 16-year-olds in England. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 42, 39–64. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.134281

GCSE Mathematics (graded 9-1, U) is a compulsory subject for 16-year-old students in England. Yet roughly one-third of students do not achieve a standard pass (grade 4) and are required to resit their exams. This study investigated the gaps in mathematics understanding for learners taking foundation tier GCSE Mathematics.

Item-level data from 15 OCR GCSE Mathematics foundation tier papers (graded 5-1, U) from 2023 to 2025 were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression models.

The findings showed that items assessing problem solving within mathematical and non-mathematical contexts were the most challenging for students, particularly items requiring translation of problems into processes and evaluation of results. Geometry and algebra were the most challenging content areas, especially tasks involving vectors, translating procedures into algebraic expressions, and trigonometry. In addition, performance gaps between students who achieved grade 3 and grade 4 were largest in tasks involving routine procedures, multi-step solutions, and results interpretation.

The results highlight the need for stronger instruction and practice in problem solving, algebra and geometry, as well as additional exposure to tasks involving routine and multi-step procedures. Strengthening these areas could potentially improve student outcomes and support progression for students at risk of not achieving a standard pass in GCSE Mathematics at foundation tier.

Research Matters 42: November 2026

2025

Understanding the construct of ‘future skills’: some critical reflections emerging from a comparison of recent and older future skills frameworks
Constantinou, F., Miranda, A., & Pirola, S. (2025, November 5–8). Understanding the construct of ‘future skills’: some critical reflections emerging from a comparison of recent and older future skills frameworks [Paper presentation]. Annual conference of the Association for Educational Assessment – Europe (AEA-Europe), The Hague, Netherlands
143. Uptake of GCSE subjects 2023 - Data
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2025). Uptake of GCSE subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 143 - Data
142. Provision of GCSE subjects 2023 - Data
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2025). Provision of GCSE subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 142 - Data
143. Uptake of GCSE subjects 2023
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2025). Uptake of GCSE subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 143
142. Provision of GCSE subjects 2023
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2025). Provision of GCSE subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 142

2024

141. Uptake of GCE A level subjects 2023 - Data
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2024). Uptake of GCE A level subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 141 - Data
141. Uptake of GCE A level subjects 2023
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2024). Uptake of GCE A level subjects 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 141
140. Provision of GCE A level subjects in 2023
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2024). Provision of GCE A level subjects in 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 140
140. Provision of GCE A level subjects in 2023 - Data
Miranda, A., & Gill, T. (2024). Provision of GCE A level subjects in 2023. Statistics Report Series No. 140 - Data

Research Matters

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Research Matters is our free biannual publication which allows us to share our assessment research, in a range of fields, with the wider assessment community.