Nipael MrutuEducator & Researcher

Research & scholarship

Research rooted in community.

My research brings an anthropologist’s attention to people and context to questions of early childhood education, teacher learning and the communities that support children.

Areas of interest

Early childhood care, education and developmentTeacher education and professional learningParental and community engagementGender and educationLiteracy and assessmentOrphan care, childhood and HIV/AIDS

01

Research projects

At the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development, East Africa.

  • 2021 — 2024

    A longitudinal study on teacher professional learning practices in pre-primary and primary schools in East Africa

    Principal InvestigatorFunded by Government of Canada (GAC)
  • 2020 — 2021

    Action research on the integration of values in early childhood education

    Principal InvestigatorFunded by Aga Khan University
  • 2020

    Action research on the challenges and opportunities of COVID-19 for the education sector in East Africa

    Principal Investigator
  • 2016 — 2019

    Action research on strengthening teaching and raising achievement in pre-primary and primary schools in Southern Tanzania

    Principal InvestigatorFunded by Porticus Africa
  • 2015 — Present

    School-wide literacy project (The Reading Clubs)

    Principal InvestigatorFunded by Aga Khan University
  • 2015

    Mapping the early childhood landscape in Tanzania

    Project CoordinatorFunded by UK Department for International Development (DFID)

02

Publications

10Articles, chapters, papers & thesis

2023

Engaging parents, community, and educators in supporting teaching and learning in early childhood education in Southern Tanzania

Mrutu, N.

In J. Rarieya, L. P. Lugalla & F. Mtenzi (Eds.), Maximizing Educational Change: Research, Leadership, Technology and Curriculum (pp. 265–294). Mkuki na Nyota Publishers

Book chapter

2022

2020

2016

Earlier work

  • 2011

    Moyer, E., Kyakuwa, M., Both, R., Kageha, E. I., & Mrutu, N. (2011). Meaningfully involving people living with AIDS in social science research: Methodological reflections from a five-country treatment literacy project. ICASA, Addis Ababa. (Abstract)

  • 2011

    Moyer, E., Mrutu, N., & Margery, A. (2011). Evidence-based interventions work better with the involvement of PLHIV: Paediatric ARV treatment access in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. ICASA, Addis Ababa. (Abstract)

  • 2006

    Mrutu, N. (2006). Pentecostalism and HIV/AIDS: The complexities of treatment choice in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. MA thesis, University of Amsterdam.

03

Books & manuals

Practical resources written with and for teachers.

I was awarded seed funding of USD 5,000 for a pilot study in my area of interest. Working with early childhood teachers in Dodoma, Tanzania, I developed a teachers’ manual that guides teachers, with examples, on how to embed values in teaching and learning through interactive methods such as games and arts. I was both an editor and an author of the manual.

View the values education manual
Cover of the Ujenzi wa Maadili manual
Ujenzi wa Maadili: teachers’ manual on values education
Contents and credits pages of the Ujenzi wa Maadili manual
Contents and credits
Cover of Classroom Assessment Guidelines: Early Years and Class 1–3
Classroom Assessment Guidelines: Early Years and Class 1–3 (SESEA)
Back cover listing authors including Nipael Mrutu
Co-authored with colleagues in Tanzania and Canada

04

Public writing

Op-eds for national newspapers in Tanzania.

  • 7 Nov 2023

    Building multicultural citizenship at school

    The Citizen

  • 9 Nov 2021

    The place of democracy in teaching and learning

    The Guardian

    “When we engage children early on in decision making, we send a message that it is important to involve others in matters that affect them.”

  • 6 May 2020

    Teaching to support learning in times of crisis

    The Guardian

    “As an educator and a parent, I constantly ponder on the impact of this pandemic on quality teaching and learning.”

  • 2019

    Challenges facing the teaching profession in digital-era Tanzania

    The Guardian

AKU daily media summary featuring the op-ed “The place of democracy in teaching and learning”
Featured in the AKU daily media summary

05

Conferences

Presenting, organising and serving on conference secretariats.

  • Aug 2026

    Regional Education Learning Exchange: Reimagining teacher preparation — innovation, collaboration and practice across East Africa

    Aga Khan University & GPE

    Conference chair
  • Jun 2025

    Africa ELTA 9th International Conference: Innovating ELT in Africa

    In collaboration with TELTA · University of Dar es Salaam

    Keynote speaker
  • Oct 2023

    SoTL Conference: Shaping tomorrow together — transformative teaching for engaged learning

    QTL-Net

  • Feb 2023

    4th Regional Education Conference: Building resilient education systems beyond crises

    AKU-IED, East Africa

    Organising committee
  • Nov 2022

    ICERI 2022: International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation

    IATED, Seville, Spain

    Two papers in proceedings
  • —

    7th International Leadership Research Forum – Early Childhood (ILRF EC)

    University of South Africa (UNISA)

  • Dec 2019

    Annual Research Institute: Early childhood education, care and development in the 21st century

    AKU-IED, East Africa

    Secretariat
  • Nov 2017

    2nd International Conference on Early Childhood Development

    AKU Institute for Human Development

  • Oct 2017

    Regional Education Conference: Re-thinking teacher education

    Kampala, Uganda

    Secretariat
  • Mar 2017

    Annual Research Institute

    AKU-IED, East Africa

  • Nov 2016

    Regional Education Conference: Education challenges and opportunities in Tanzania in the era of globalisation

    Dodoma, Tanzania

Dr. Mrutu delivering a keynote address at the Africa ELTA conference, held with TELTA
Keynote address, Africa ELTA 9th International Conference, 2025

06

Earlier research

Public-health and social research in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia before joining AKU.

  • 2009 — 2014

    Filling the Gaps: Social Institutions and AIDS in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia

    Funded by NWO-WOTRO

  • 2006 — 2008

    Social aspects of free AIDS medicines in public health care settings in Tanzania and Zambia

    Funded by SIDA

  • 2006 — 2008

    The social context of disclosing HIV test results: VCT and routine testing clients in Tanzania

    Funded by USAID

  • 2006 — 2008

    The impact of the PMTCT programme on reproductive and child health services in 17 sites in Arumeru and Monduli districts

    Funded by EGPAF

  • 2006 — 2008

    Factors that hamper paediatric enrolment into HIV/AIDS care and treatment programmes in Tanzania

    Funded by EGPAF

  • 2006 — 2008

    Willingness to join and subscribe to a health insurance programme: the Marangu coffee farmers’ cooperative

    Funded by PharmAccess Foundation

  • 2006 — 2008

    Funding systems used by civil society organisations, and ways to track resources and disseminate information

    Funded by TACAIDS

  • 2006 — 2008

    Evidence-based paediatric ARV treatment access in Kenya and Tanzania

    Funded by EATAM

Read the doctoral thesis