Rate My Professor Marelize Joubert

Dr Marelize Joubert is Deputy Head of School for Health and Social Care in the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University. A qualified and registered social worker with Social Work England, she graduated from the University of North West in South Africa in 1997 with a qualification in social work and completed her Masters in Social Work and Addiction there. Joubert earned her Professional Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 2017 through her thesis titled 'Social work students' perceptions of readiness to practice: a mixed methods approach'. Before entering academia, she gained over ten years of professional practice experience, primarily in child protection and mental health services. She has progressed at Sheffield Hallam University from senior lecturer to principal lecturer in social work and now holds her current leadership role.

Joubert's academic interests center on social work education, including students' perceptions of readiness for practice, attitudes toward service-user poverty, substance misuse, dual diagnosis, mental health, and interprofessional learning. She is an experienced mixed methods researcher, utilizing innovative techniques such as diaries and drawings. Key publications include 'Social work students' perceptions of their readiness for practice and to practise' (Social Work Education, 2020), 'PERCEPTIONS OF POVERTY: Exploring the attitudes of Sheffield Hallam University Social Work students to service-user poverty' (International Journal of Arts, Humanities & Social Science, 2021, with Kiri Smith), 'Social Work Skills Days – 'Keeping It Real'' (Practice: Social Work in Action, 2021, with Ruth Bastin), and 'The Social Work Online Team Training (SWOTT) toolkit' (Social Work Education, 2023). Joubert teaches the interprofessional strand of the social work program, develops practical skills training initiatives, and has contributed to funded projects such as 'Exploring communities of belonging around drink' supported by Alcohol Change UK. Her work impacts social work training by fostering compassionate, practice-ready professionals.