Literature Study: Implementation of Teaching Factory (TeFa) Model

Literature Study: Implementation of Teaching Factory (TeFa) Model

Dzakwan Murtadlo¹ Mukti, Indri Setiani², Edy Suprapto³

^1,3Pendidikan Teknik Mesin, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Indonesia

² Pendidikan Teknik Mesin, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.908000454

Received: 12 August 2025; Accepted: 18 August 2025; Published: 16 September 2025

ABSTRACT

The competitiveness of Human Resources (HR) is one of the main factors in the development of a country’s economy. In preparing competent human resources, the government seeks to harmonize the skills of vocational students with the skills needs of the industrial world in order to achieve a link and match between vocational education and industry. The solution to prepare students who have skills that are in accordance with the skills of the industrial world is by implementing the Teaching Factory (TeFa) model. The application of the Teaching Factory (TeFa) model in the field of education, especially in vocational education, has the potential to harmonize manufacturing teaching with the needs of industrial practice. The Teaching Factory (TeFa) model is a production-based learning model in accordance with industry standards and procedures. This research uses a literature study that aims to review previous research on the application of the Teaching Factory (TeFa) model.

Keywords: Teaching Factory Model, Vocational Education, Industrial World.

INTRODUCTION

The current industrial era 4.0 provides greater challenges in various fields of life, especially in the world of education such as improving services and access to education, innovation and utilization of technology, and efforts to improve human resources in these fields. In preparing competent human resources, the government seeks to harmonize the skills of vocational students with the skills needs of the industrial world in order to achieve a link and match between vocational education and industry.

Vocational high schools (SMK) have an important role in providing human resources (HR) that are useful for the development of the country. To become a superior institution, vocational high schools are expected to prepare their students to have work competencies according to the demands of the industrial world or provide various knowledge and skills to become entrepreneurs [5].

SMK graduates are expected to be able and ready to work in their field of expertise, but in reality, the absorption rate of graduates into the business world, the industrial world and the world of work is still low and far from expected. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) which contains statistics on the open unemployment rate (TPT) based on the latest education level shows that the highest TPT is dominated by SMK graduates at 9.42% (BPS, 2022).

The government, in this case through the Ministry of Education & Culture, especially the Directorate of Vocational Development, is trying to reduce unemployment and seriously equip graduates to have work competencies and entrepreneurial spirit so that vocational graduates are ready to work, continue, entrepreneurship [13]. One of the efforts made to improve the quality of graduates so that they can be absorbed in the business world, the industrial world, and the world of work is through the teaching factory learning development program which requires schools to be more active in improving the learning process which leads to a work-oriented learning climate in accordance with the demands and needs of the business world, the industrial world, and the world of work [1].

The use of teaching factory learning and training models is widely used in various countries to produce graduates who are skilled and ready to enter the workforce. In Indonesia, the Directorate of Vocational High Schools (DVHS) collaborated with the German government in 2011 in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program to improve the competence of SMK graduates by introducing teaching factory learning and training models [6].

Teaching factory can be useful for improving work readiness, skill alignment and professional character development of graduates of vocational training (DUDI) based on business and industry through a product-based learning/service process (learning tool engineering) taking place in the environment, atmosphere, governance and standard rules of DUDI or actual workplace/company. If industry support is high, then the implementation of teaching factory on learning activities in the industrial environment will be easier to achieve and have an impact on the level of student achievement.

The benefits of Teaching Factory for schools include: (a) Increasing school involvement with the community, (b) Improving school communication with partners, in this case industry and government, (c) Opportunities to update synchronization with activities that are applicable and can improve skills, (d) Enriching learning activities for students, and (e) Improving the quality of graduates of SMK students. Teaching factory can obtain new innovations and ideas from students for work projects so that more innovations will emerge from the collaboration between teachers and students. For students, teaching factory can increase competence in the skills aspect in the implementation of teaching factory as well as gain experience and knowledge related to work readiness and schools must assist, prepare adequate facilities, time management and good cooperation in implementing teaching factory [9].

This article will review previous research on how to implement the Teaching Factory (TeFa) model. This study is to examine previous research on how the implementation of the Teaching Factory (TeFa) model.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Teaching Factory Model

Teaching factory is an integration between competency learning and production, where the teaching and learning process in schools is carried out similar to the real world of industry / work by providing services and producing products or goods. The products (goods or services) produced have good quality and can meet consumer needs [2].

Teaching factory is a concept of learning in real conditions so as to bridge the competency gap between industry needs and school knowledge [1]. Teaching factory is a product-based learning model (goods/services) through school synergy with industry needs to produce competent graduates [11].

Teaching factory is a learning model by implementing a competency-based learning process and production- based learning. Achievement of competencies obtained by students through production activities that refer to the standards and procedures applicable in the industry [7]. Teaching factory (TeFa) is a learning concept that encourages students to real working conditions. TeFa is a learning concept in the form of a miniature industry, equipped with industrial production equipment, using standard operating procedures (SOP) of the industry, so that the products and services are similar [10].

From some of these opinions, it can be concluded that the Teaching Factory (TeFa) Model is a production- based learning model to produce products in the form of goods or services in accordance with industry standards and procedures. Through the teaching factory model there is a process of integrating student learning needs that need to be understood, mastered, and applied in everyday life as enrichment material. Learning materials in the teaching factory model are arranged systematically and integrated. Optimization is expected to take place not only in the hard skill aspects and soft skill aspects in accordance with the demands and needs of the industry. Teaching factory aims to produce competent graduates, or graduates who have the skills required by the industry.

Teaching factory is needed in the implementation of good and mutually beneficial cooperation between vocational schools and the business world / industrial world / the world of work is very important to support the achievement of the industrial-based teaching factory model learning development program [1]. Teaching factory is one of the entrepreneurship educations programs with the concept of education based on industrial production business processes. The purpose of using a teaching factory is to provide students with the opportunity to learn by addressing real-world engineering problems in the classroom while creating a realistic manufacturing environment [15].

Vocational Education

According to Sutarna, (2020: 4) Vocational education is education that refers to the mastery of certain applied skills. Vocational education is closely related to entrepreneurship because vocational education has the potential to create a skilled and expert workforce, because a country’s industry is largely determined by the quality of skilled labor that is directly involved in the production process and has economic value in accordance with market demand and a highly educated workforce.

The objectives of vocational education are:

1. Provide the widest possible range of services and opportunities to individuals who are ready and willing to prepare for employment in the applied skills they are interested in.
2. Prepare students to apply science, technology, and art in accordance with the field of expertise and work they will pursue.
3. Meet the needs of the community for skilled workers who are ready to enter the
4. Provide the widest possible access and opportunities for the community to benefit from and participate in the provision of vocational training.
5. Provide several alternatives and/or choices in addition to academic and professional training so that people can participate in education.

Based on Permen No. 22 of 2006 concerning Content Standards, the specific purpose of vocational education is to improve the intelligence, knowledge, personality, noble character, and skills of students to live independently, and follow further education according to their vocational program in order to work effectively and efficiently, develop their expertise and skills, master the field of expertise and the basics of science and technology, have a high work ethic, communicate according to the demands of their work, and have the ability to develop themselves. This formulation means that the task of vocational education is to prepare human resources (HR) who have high competence in their fields, are able to independently open businesses, are able to adapt quickly according to technological demands, and are able to compete. Substantially, vocational education is tasked with shaping students to have good abilities, insights, and skills in the industrial field, and mastering engineering concepts in industry [16].

Vocational education programs at the vocational high school level aim to prepare graduates to be able to work, continue their studies, or become entrepreneurs in accordance with their vocational fields of interest. Efforts to obtain qualified vocational education graduates who are relevant to the needs of the world of work must be based on programs designed and developed according to the principle of relevance to the needs of related parties. Specific vocational education programs lead to the formation of higher skills. SMK as a form of vocational secondary education organization under the Directorate of Vocational School Development, which is an educational facility oriented towards the formation of life skills, especially training students to master the skills needed by the world of work (including the world of business and industry), providing entrepreneurial education and developing life skills.

Through in-depth and comprehensive alignment of vocational education with the world of work, the SMK center for excel program aims to produce graduates who are absorbed in the world of work or become entrepreneurs. Therefore, it is very natural that the Indonesian government pays great attention to the development of entrepreneurship programs in vocational schools, such as production unit programs and engineering factories and one of them is considered suitable for implementation in SMK, namely teaching factory [15].

DATA AND METHODOLOGY

This research uses a literature review method or literature study of previous research journals related to teaching factory in the field of education. Research data is obtained from various research results from previous studies that are still relevant to this research. In addition, the researcher also conducted open interviews in several vocational high schools that implemented teaching victory as the basis of the curriculum that they applied in existing schools. Of the several schools in Sukoharjo Regency and Surakarta City that have implemented a teaching victory curriculum, there are approximately 6 schools that have implemented a curriculum or learning model of teaching victory, both in the automotive and mechanical engineering fields. The selection process of the literature is based on the title, abstract and conclusion of the topic taken. The following table 1.1 presents the literature review used in this study.

Table 1 presents the literature review used in this research.

Learning through teaching factory aims to develop the character and work ethic (discipline, responsibility, honesty, cooperation, leadership, etc.) needed by business and industry and improve the quality of learning outcomes by only equipping competencies (competency-based training) into learning that equips the ability to produce goods/services (production-based training) [5].

The implementation of teaching factory in SMK students shows benefits including in the knowledge aspect, the benefits of teaching factory not only increase students’ knowledge about the world of work but students can also find out about work procedures, work ethics and discipline, and know the business management system in entrepreneurship. In addition, in the aspect of skills, students are taught to feel the benefits in the form of soft skill development, experience and work readiness, and discipline in managing time [9].

The implementation of teaching factory is able to train students to be able to deepen their knowledge according to topics in the industry and apply it in practice at school, where the learning theory at school is synchronized with a production-based approach according to vocational and industrial education standards [4] The use of teaching factory is very important in increasing the entrepreneurial intention of vocational students. The teaching factory program in this study is proven to affect the entrepreneurial intention of vocational students through two dimensions of TPB, namely attitude towards behavior and perceived behavioral control. Attitude towards behavior has a greater influence on entrepreneurial intention than perceived behavioral control [15].

From the results of interviews that have been conducted at vocational schools in Sukoharjo Regency and Surakarta City, it is found that the use of teaching factory management is very helpful for schools in distributing their graduates in the industry who have excellent quality and quality, a long selection process, and a learning model that is directly adjusted to the working conditions in the industry in real life.  able to provide qualified cognitive ability and skills for existing students. Of the 6 schools that have been interviewed, almost 90% of the graduates are accepted into large industries that have excellent quality. The application of teaching factories in each school has different teaching factory management. The organizational structure involves the principal, vice principal, head of the expertise program, productive teachers, and education personnel. In addition, there are external parties, namely partner companies and school supervisors. Teaching factory management includes planning which consists of planning learning equipment, product planning, and marketing planning. Implementation includes production, marketing. Supervision includes evaluation of teaching factory implementation and follow-up [3].

CONCLUSION

The achievement of high scores in the implementation of teaching factory is also supported by the synchronization of programs between schools and businesses, so that schools know the types of skills that must be mastered by students. In addition, the type of product or service needed by students for training or production is also provided. By carrying out the production process, students acquire skills. To be able to synchronize the program, the school’s employment relations department must collaborate with partner industries that match their expertise. Human resources (HR), especially teachers, are required to participate in the teacher training program in the industry. The manufacturing process to acquire such skills is done through classroom learning activities by applying work culture and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to create environmentally friendly products. Therefore, it is very important for schools to have equipment that is close to industry standards as a means of practice for their students.

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