Dr. Margaret Njeru is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Riara University. She joined the University as a lecturer in the School in 2012. She holds a PhD in Education, Curriculum and Instruction (Language and Literacy Development) from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (2009). She also holds an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Nairobi (1990), and a second M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S.A. (2007).Dr. Njeru has a long history of teaching at the university level. She taught as an assistant lecturer and later as lecturer in the department of Linguistics at Egerton University, Kenya, from 1990-2001. She left Egerton university in 2001 and joined the University of Illinois to pursue her doctoral studies.
While at the University of Illinois, she taught Kiswahili and Global Studies as a Teaching Assistant. She also worked as a co-director for the Global Studies Initiative program in the same university during the period 2009-2010. She was a visiting lecturer for Kiswahili in the same university from 2010-2011.
Before joining Riara University, Dr. Njeru worked as a senior Lecturer in the faculty of Education at the Kampala International University in Dar-es-salaam campus for one year.
She has attended and made several academic presentations at both local and international conferences.
Selected Publications:
- Njeru, M.W. (2017). Mobile Open-Access Revolutionalizing Learning Among University Students in Kenya: The Role of the Smartphone. In M. Mills and D. Wake (eds.), Empowering Learners With Mobile Open-Access Learning Initiatives (pp.171-192). Hershey, PA: IGI Global Publishers.
- Njeru, M. W. (2016). Teach Our Children in Their Mother Tongue. In M.M. Koster, M.M. Kithinji & J.P. Rotich (Eds.), Kenya after 50: Reconfiguring Education, Gender, and Policy (African Histories and Modernities). New York: Palgrave Macmillan
- Njeru, Margaret (March 21, 2016). Review 8.4.4 with Social Justice in Mind. Education News.
- Njeru, M.W. (2016). From Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Approach: Views from Primary School Teachers in the 8.4.4. Education System in
- Nairobi- Kenya. Riara University Journal of Education, (1), 203-16.
- Njeru, M.W. (2015). Parents as Participants in Their Children’s Learning: A Tall Order for Parents in Rural Kenya. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (Advocacy/ Policy), 58 (5), 368-371.
- Njeru-Mwenda, Margaret (2010). Raising Immigrant Kenyan Children in America: Academic and Cultural Perspectives from some selected families- based on PhD dissertation. Published by VDM Verlag Publishers (Germany).
Research interests: Dr. Njeru’s research interests include, among others: language, culture, technology and literacy development; In-service teacher experiences, and the role of parents in children’s learning.
Mr. John Mbuthi, is a distinguished scholar in international education and research. Prior to joining Riara University, in September 2011, he was a senior consultant with ThinkSmart Africa Education Consultants (2010 to 2011), where he carried out national and international research projects that aimed to determine the co-relationship between educational attainment levels and the degree of individuals’ participation in socio-economic activities.
From 2005 to 2009, he headed Rusinga School, Nairobi, an international school that offers the British National Curriculum (BNC) and IGCSE/GCE programmes. During his tenure at Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi as the deputy head and International Baccalaureate diploma programme coordinator, he was appointed the IBO regional representative, East and Central Africa from 2003. He was a member of the IB Diploma Review Committee (2003 to 2006) and the Chair of the Nairobi IB School (2000 to 2006).
John holds a B.Ed (Sc) and M.Ed (Administration, Planning and Curriculum Development).
He joins the Riara University School of Education as a specialist in modern pedagogical practices that focus on student-centred, skill-based, interactive and ICT – enhanced learning.