Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
Gisele Waters
Committee Member
Katrina Pann
Committee Member
Kimberly Durham
Keywords
ADDIE instructional design process, evidence-based practices, group therapy, instructional systems design, lesson planning, substance use disorder
Abstract
This study explored lesson planning for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment groups, investigating the presence of components from the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) instructional systems design (ISD) process in routine facilitator lesson planning practices. Using an exploratory mixed-methods convergent parallel design, data were collected via an online survey featuring closed- and open-ended questions regarding self-reported planning activities and perceived effectiveness. Quantitative analysis confirmed that SUD facilitators perform tasks associated with all five ADDIE phases. Qualitative findings showed that facilitators perceive themselves as effective planners despite logistical and organizational constraints. However, facilitators do not appear to conceptually link instructional design tasks, lesson planning effectiveness, and successful groups.
Four key themes emerged: needs analysis is an ongoing multi-stakeholder process; flexibility is essential; evaluation of learning outcomes is underrepresented; and processing is inextricably linked to psychoeducation. Data integration led to four primary conclusions: 1) a lack of formal structure in lesson planning indicates a gap in use of ISD exacerbated by systemic factors; 2) the informal designer role creates a disparity between clinical flexibility and adherence to addiction counseling standards; 3) facilitators prefer structured planning but are hindered by workplace impediments; and 4) the frequent omission of learning transfer and evaluation metrics reveals a gap between evidencebased substance use treatment and instructional systems design principles. These findings provide an impetus for systemic policy changes. The existing presence of ADDIE components serves as a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of instructional systems design for SUD group therapy lesson planning.
NSUWorks Citation
Michelle Robin Gould. 2026. Instructional Systems Design in Lesson Planning for Substance Use Treatment Groups: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (1134)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/1134.