Achievement of Major Abilities and Educational Implications of Female Cosmetology Students

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of achievement in major competencies of female college students majoring in beauty and, based on this, to suggest educational implications for improving major competency achievement. The results of the study showed that the achievement in major competencies was in the order of ‘creativity, communication, and empathy’ (M=4.14), ‘problem solving’ (M=4.10), and ‘science and art convergence’ (M=4.04). The overall major competency achievement was an average of 4.09 points, and the major competency achievement was higher in the fourth year than in other years. Depending on the major, the skin care major showed the highest scientific understanding among the sub-competencies of science and art convergence ability, the skin care and cosmetics majors showed the highest decision-making among the sub-competencies of problem-solving ability, and the cosmetics majors showed the highest customer management and communication among the sub-competencies of creativity, communication, and empathy ability. In terms of correlation, science and art convergence ability was found to have a significant positive correlation with problem-solving ability and creativity, communication, and empathy ability, and problem-solving ability was found to have a significant positive correlation with creativity, communication, and empathy ability. This study confirmed that the core competencies required for each major differ, and that in order to improve the achievement of major competencies, it is necessary to design a curriculum and differentiate teaching and learning methods that are tailored to the characteristics of each major. In follow-up studies, comprehensive analysis of detailed factors affecting major competency achievement, such as teaching methods, field training, certification acquisition, and motivation for major selection, should be conducted, and research should be conducted that sets learner characteristics, instructor competency, and learning support systems as mediating and moderating variables to determine the effects on major competency achievement.