Following the enactment of the Tattooist Act, discussions regarding the introduction of a national technical qualification for cosmetic tattooing have been actively advanced. In this transitional phase, there is a growing need for foundational re earc...
Following the enactment of the Tattooist Act, discussions regarding the introduction of a national technical qualification for cosmetic tattooing have been actively advanced. In this transitional phase, there is a growing need for foundational re earch on curriculum design that aligns with the national technical qualification framework. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop hygiene and technical domain curricula for cosmetic tattooing that c nform to the national technical qualification system, assuming the establishment of such a qualification.
The study was conducted with expert groups possessing domain-specific expertis in the hygiene and technical areas of cosmetic tattooing. The hygiene domain panel consisted of three dermatologists, while the technical domain panel included ten cosmetic tattooing experts. The preliminary hygiene curriculum was developed based on hygiene education standards from major foreign c untries, and the preliminary technical curriculum was c nstructed based on the standardized cosmetic tattooing education program proposed by Park et al. (2024). Experts evaluated the learning structure, learning objective , and detailed learning c ntent through quantitative assessments and provided qualitative written feedback, which were subsequently subjected to comprehensive analysis and reflected in curriculum refinement.
The re ults indicated that the appropriateness of the learning structure and learning objective of the preliminary hygiene curriculum showed mean score of 3.25 and 3.44, respectively, indicating an overall moderate level of adequacy.
However, for effective application within the national technical qualification system, a shift from a theory-centered structure to a procedure-oriented structure that enable the assessment of task performance during actual procedure was required. In addition, pain management and medication safety were identified as independent educational components directly linked to practitioner safety. Based on the findings, the hygiene curriculum was reorganized into a performance-oriented structure emphasizing situational judgment and respons capabilities, and its c ntent validity was c nfirmed through expert validation by dermatologists.
For the technical domain, the appropriateness of the educational structure and learning objective received relatively high evaluations, with mean score of 4.06 and 4.40, respectively. Qualitative analysis of expert feedback revealed the need for a performance-oriented curriculum design that extends beyond technical skill acquisition to encompass professional judgment and responsibility in task execution. Accordingly, the final technical curriculum was reorganized into three
components: a theoretical domain supporting professional judgment, a procedural performance domain enabling observation and determination of task execution, and a c nsultation and record management domain encompassing pre-procedure decision-making and post-procedure accountability. Content validity of the finalized technical curriculum was c nfirmed through member checking with the participating experts.
This study is significant in that it propose a c ncrete direction for integrating cosmetic tattooing into the national technical qualification system by combining quantitative expert evaluations with in-depth qualitative analysis. In particular, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of a performance-based national technica qualification curriculum in which education and assessment are integrally linked.
The re ults provide foundational data for establishing examination standards, performance assessment systems, and education and training criteria for future national technical qualifications in cosmetic tattooing.