This study focuses on the relationship between teacher mental planning and instructional design (ID) skills for the graduates of the teacher education program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), which has had a two-semester sequence in instructional design (ID) and evaluation since 1976. The two courses are designed to provide the students with a practical, systematic process to use when planning instruction, together with the necessary ID principles and skills for producing technically sound, teacher delivered instruction. Recent graduates (1980-1990) from the undergraduate preservice teacher education program were asked to respond to a four-part survey which covered demographics, general information, yearly planning, and daily planning. Similar questions addressed each aspect of planning. A randomly selected group received two surveys with instructions to share one with colleagues who had not graduated from UNCW. The second phase of the study involved interviewing teachers in more detail to flesh out the initial findings from the survey and to explore further the process of mental planning. It was found that teachers plan in different time frames with varying emphases at each level, i.e., yearly, unit, and daily planning. There is adequate evidence that teachers approach their planning in very systematic ways, emphasizing the ID skills of learner analysis, objectives, tests, instructional strategies, and formative evaluation. Statements by teachers also documented the use of mental imagery in the planning process. It is concluded that the role of instructional designers in transforming education lies in helping their graduates to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Survey data are displayed in eight tables. (24 references) (BBM)