Is instructional leadership a retention factor? Cross-cultural examination of teacher turnover intentions in four selected Latin American countries

This study examines links between principals’ instructional leadership and secondary teachers’ intentions to leave in Chile, Argentina (ACBA), Colombia, and Mexico using TALIS 2018. Applying single-level structural equation models, we find instructional leadership consistently associates with lower exit intentions. Mediation analyses, however, reveal mixed patterns: job satisfaction transmits much of the relationship in several settings, whereas teacher collaboration and self-efficacy show weaker or context-dependent pathways. Taken together, the results underscore that instructional leadership supports retention, but its effects operate through multiple mechanisms across Latin-American systems, requiring tailored implementation and design.