Teacher Retention in Remote Areas: The Role of Leadership, Intrinsic Motivation and Organizational Support

Abstract

Teacher retention is a critical issue in educational management, particularly in remote areas such as East Java. This study analyzes the association between principal leadership style, intrinsic motivation, and organizational support with teacher retention. Data were collected from 206 teachers using the PLS-SEM approach. The results show that organizational support has a significant direct effect on teacher retention, while principal leadership style does not have a statistically significant direct effect. Both principal leadership style and organizational support significantly influence teachers’ intrinsic motivation. However, the indirect effects of leadership style and organizational support on teacher retention through intrinsic motivation were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that strengthening organizational support can directly improve teacher retention in remote areas, while intrinsic motivation does not play a significant mediating role in this relationship.