Senior Lecturer in Science

Dr. Kwanele Shishane is currently a Senior Social Work lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. She earned her PhD in Social Work, MSc in Social Work, and BA in Social Work at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In 2018-2019 she was a US Fulbright Doctoral visiting researcher at the Whitney M. Young Jr School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University, United States. Dr Shishane has been in academia for 6 years and has 3 years post-PhD teaching and research experience. She has successfully supervised over 10 Master’s students and supervises at PhD level. At the University of Bedfordshire, Kwanele teaches in undergraduate, postgraduate, and post-qualification courses. She has previous teaching and research supervision experience from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she taught Introduction to Professional Social Work Practice, Social Work Theory and Field Practice, Social Policy and Legislation, Research Methods, and SPSS training. She also has teaching and MSc research supervision experience from Brunel University London, where she taught Applied Research for Health and Social Care, SPSS training and Social Work with Adults.

Dr Shishane has received different fellowships and awards including, the US Fulbright fellowship, Excellence in Scholarship, and Excellence in Doctoral Research from Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Shishane has research experience as the Envision 2030 desktop researcher and DST/NRF research intern at the Durban University of Technology. Dr. Shishane has collaborated on research projects and presented at conferences locally and internationally.

Dr Shishane has served on different committees including the World Federation for Mental Health Africa Regional Advisory Committee as secretary, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Research Ethics Committee member at Brunel University London. She also serves as a member of the Research Ethics Panel in the Social Work Department at the University of Bedfordshire. She is also an invited editor to the PloS ONE Journal and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Social Work and Welfare Policy.

Other References

• ORCiD
• LinkedIn

Qualifications

• 2020 - PhD. Department of Social Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• Research Title: An investigation of the relationship between mental health and recidivism among incarcerated youth offenders in South Africa: The role of substance use
• 2016 - MSc Social Work (with distinction). Department of Social Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• Research title: Predictors of Condom Use Behaviour and Intentions of African Migrant Youth in South Africa
• 2013 - Bachelor of Social Work (Major: Social Work & Psychology). Department of Social Development, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Teaching Expertise

• Introduction to Professional Social Work Practice
• Social Work Theory and Field Practice
• Social Policy
• Research Methods
• Applied Research for Health and Social Care
• Social Work with Adults

Current

• Critical Issues in Inter-Professional and Specialist Practice
• Research Project for Social Work Practice
• Research Skills for Professional Practice
• Applied Literature Review
• Developing Academic Skills
• Dissertation for Social Workers

Research Interests

• Mental health and well-being
• Recidivism
• Appetitive aggression
• Substance Use
• Social, cognitive and behavioural determinants of offending behaviour
• Domestic violence/gender-based violence/intimate partner violence
• Human relationship quality and mate retention strategies
• Sexual and reproductive health (including condom use behaviour)
• Psychosocial dimensions of health and disease (including COVID-19)
• Internationalisation and capacity building
• Migration and acculturation
• Welfare systems
• Project evaluation

Projects

Ongoing Research Projects

• 2021 Understanding the long-term effects of mate-retention strategies on relationship quality and conflict: The role of Covid-19 (PI with Dr. Bruna Nascimento)
• 2020 An investigation into the psychosocial dimensions of the COVID-19 Pandemic among university students in five African countries (Co-Investigator) with A. Stevenson, S. Momper, V.N. John Langba, N. Makhunga. PIs: J. John-Langba with T. Modie- Moroka (Uni. of Botswana); E.M. Darteh (Uni. Of Cape Coast, Ghana); M. Mwenji (Pan-African Christian University); O. Sankoh (Njala University); T. Kaijage (Hubert Kairuki Memorial University)

Completed

• 2022-2024 Developing contemporary practice models and supporting newly qualified social workers professional development: The role of the Practice Development Social Worker (PI: Yohai Hakak)
• 2022 Evaluating the association and mediating role of Me-Monday on perceived stress, burnout, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction among talent at JGF (PIs with Esona-Sethu Ndwandwa and Sithisa Magxwalisa)
• 2019 Basic Income: Experiences of African American Mothers in the Magnolia Mother’s Trust Project (Co-PI with F. Elonge & L. Glover. PI: E. Onifade)

Publications

• Onifade, E., Campbell, C., Shishane, K., Annan, S., Odotei , E. & Justin B. Williams. (2024). Beyond monolithic threat: Understanding risk typology in court-involved Black male youth, Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, https://doi.org/10.1080/15377938.2024.2310515 eprint link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/S3AVYQWAE2FKIT2MSREX/full?target=10.1080/15377938.2024.2310515
• Nascimento, B.S., Shishane, K., Russell, N.A. (2023). Public Perceptions of Violence Against Women. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85493-5_1409-1
• Onifade, E., Shishane, K., Elonge, F. & Glover, L. (2023). Gauranteed income: experiences of African American Mothers in the Magnolia Mother’s Trust Project. Journal of Community Practice, https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2023.2190327
• Shishane, K., John-Langba, J., & Onifade, E. (2023). Mental health disorders and recidivism among incarcerated adult offenders in a correctional facility in South Africa: A cluster analysis. PloS one, 18(1), e0278194. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278194
• Shishane, K, & John-Langba, J. (2023). Historically Black colleges and universities as catalysts for developing a sense of belonging in the global community: Perspectives from South Africa. In AP Stevenson & K Abraham, The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs. PA, United States: The Forum on Education Abroad Press. https://forumea.org/resources/publications/standards-in-action/study-abroad-and-hbcus/
• John-Langba, J. & Shishane, K. (2022, December 1). Data Privacy and Access Control in Health and Social Science Research among Vulnerable & Protected Persons: Reflections from Research at a Correctional Facility in South Africa. EDDI2022: The 14th Annual European DDI User Conference (EDDI2022), Sciences Po, Paris, France. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7528058
• Hakak, Y., Onokha, S. & Shishane, K. (2022). People Here are their Own Gods: The Migration of South African Social Workers to England. The British Journal of Social Work, bcac199, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac199

Contact Details

E: Kwanele.Shishane@beds.ac.uk