An Examination of the "Addiction and Addiction Prevention" Course Using Activity-Based Teaching Methods: A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to examine prospective educators’ experiences, perspectives, and perceived competencies regarding activity-based instructional practices implemented throughout an undergraduate "Addiction and Addiction Prevention” course. The study employed a qualitative descriptive design utilizing inductive thematic analysis. The study group comprised a complete cohort of 55 undergraduate students (100% participation rate) enrolled in the course and meeting predefined inclusion criteria at a public university in Turkey during the 2025–2026 academic year. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews exploring participants’ lived experiences with case analyses, role-playing simulations, creative activity design, and addiction-themed television series reflections. The dataset was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase inductive thematic analysis framework. The thematic analysis revealed that activity-based instruction consolidated abstract theoretical knowledge into experiential learning, transforming students from passive recipients into active agents. Findings demonstrated that role-playing, narrative case analyses, and cinemeducation deconstructed moralistic stereotypes, facilitating a conceptual transition toward a biopsychosocial model of addiction while fostering empathy for affected individuals and families. Furthermore, participants reported ecologically transferring acquired coping competencies—such as refusal assertiveness, boundary-setting, and digital self-regulation—into daily peer and personal contexts, while navigating nuanced social anxieties and fears of peer exclusion during boundary enforcement. Integrating experiential, drama-based, and narrative instructional modalities into higher education addiction curricula holistically fosters prospective educators' cognitive comprehension, affective sensitivity, and preventive behavioral efficacy, thereby strengthening their professional readiness for school-based prevention.