The Impact of AI-Based Beauty Education on the Creative Thinking Competencies and Self-Directed Learning Competencies of Specialized Beauty High School Students

This study was conducted with the purpose of empirically analyzing the impact of AI-based beauty education on learners’ creative thinking competencies and self-directed learning competencies, and presenting basic data to evaluate the educational effectiveness of AI-based beauty education. The subjects of the study were students at vocational high schools specializing in beauty residing in Gyeongsangbuk-do, and 215 sets of data collected via an internet survey from February 9 to February 19, 2026, were analyzed. The study results confirmed a tendency for divergent thinking, convergent thinking, intrinsic motivation, and creative disposition to all increase as awareness and experience with AI-based education grew. Additionally, sub-factors of self-directed learning—such as responsibility and autonomy, openness, self-confidence, and learning attachment—were also found to increase. Furthermore, AI-based beauty education was identified as a key variable positively influencing all sub-factors of creative thinking competency—divergent thinking, convergent thinking, intrinsic motivation, and creative disposition—and was found to have a significant impact on the sub-factors of self-directed learning competency—responsibility and autonomy, openness, self-confidence, and learning attachment. Finally, creative thinking competency was found to have a very strong influence on self-directed learning competency. Responsibility and autonomy, openness, self-confidence, and learning attachment all demonstrated high explanatory power, with intrinsic motivation and divergent thinking specifically identified as key influencing factors. However, since this study has limitations in that it targeted students at vocational high schools specializing in beauty in a specific region, subsequent research should be conducted on a broader scope that expands the geographical area.