Abstract:
The purposes of this study are to study the levels of self-efficacy as related to practices of Thai traditional medicine (Thai traditional medicine, Thai traditional pharmacy, Thai traditional massage and midwifery) by Applied Thai traditional medical practitioners who have been conferred a bachelors degree in Applied Thai Traditional medicine, and also to investigate the information source of self-efficacy related to the practices of Thai Traditional Medicine. The study was conducted by collecting data from questionnaires done by volunteers who had graduated with a bachelor degree in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine in the academic year 2009-2012 from all educational institutions, which hold bachelor courses in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, and were certified as applied Thai traditional medical practitioners. The questionnaires had been given out to 1,074 practitioners, but were completed by 560 practitioners. FINDINGS, The result to the study revealed that most applied Thai traditional medical practitioners in this group, which 73.39% of the practitioners, evaluated self-efficacy level in Thai traditional medicine clinical practices as medium (Score=126.68-217.15) with highest self-efficacy in the clinical practice of Thai therapeutic massage. On the contrary, the level of difficulty in the clinical practices of Thai traditional medicine was highest in the clinical practice of Thai traditional medicine compared to the other thee practices. For the information sources of self-efficacy in the clinical practice of Thai traditional medicine, 91.73% and 93.65% of the practitioners in the study group stated that they acquired self-efficacy from performing practices by themselves and from observing the demonstrations (models) respectively. Another information source that of verbal persuasion, was also accessed by many practitioners in the group (81.60%). RECOMMENDATION The findings of this study confirm that academic courses of the any training programs held for improving knowledge, skills and self-efficacy in applied Thai traditional medicine practices should be providing learners chances to study by practicing by themselves, observing demonstrators (models) and providing them some verbal persuasion. However, practicing activities in Thai traditional medicine, such as patient interviews, together with diagnosis and therapeutic practices, should be held more frequently for the learners to gain their own experiences.