Development of Standard Manual for Facial Massage Training Using Work Study Method

Abstract

With the development of living standards, people pay increasing attention on health. Thailand’s spa industry has attracted many people with its reasonable prices and highquality services. In particular, Thai massage (a type of spa) requires more professional skills. Through interviews, this study identifies three specific problems. Firstly, the training of Thai massage is usually conducted through conversation, in which teachers can do the same teaching, but in different positions. Secondly, even though the trainees have received training, they may still have the problem of how to do a good Thai massage. Thirdly, the trainees after the training lack suitable self-study materials to review. On the basis of the research review, three objectives are proposed. Firstly, to transform the tacit knowledge of Thai massage into explicit knowledge. Secondly, to establish a standard explicit knowledge system of Thai massage by applying engineering concept of work study. Finally, to create Thai massage training manuals for foreign students. In order to achieve the first objective, the study conduct structured interviews to collect data and employ content analysis to analyze the interviews. For the second objective, the study convened experts for group discussions, analyze the movements of Thai massage, and use time study to calculate the standard time. For the realization of the third objective, the study formed a training guideli ne based on the data collected and analyzed from work and study, including exercise instructions, standard time and pictures. The guideline provides both Chinese and English versions for foreign students. The key findings are shown in the research, including movements, standard time and pictures recorded in the work study. On this basis, a guideline for Thai massage is formed. This study contributes to develop guidelines for Thai massage for training schools. Trainers can use the guideline as teaching materials, and trainees learning Thai massage can get review materials.