Abstract

Teacher retention has represented a serious problem to be solved by different school systems at the international level. In this sense, it is expected that instructional leaders not only manage schools with a focus on improving students’ learning, but also transform schools into attractive spaces to retain teachers, especially those who are just beginning their teaching careers. The following study explores novice teachers' perceptions of instructional leadership from their principals and management teams, and the influence of leadership on teachers’ intent to stay at schools. The qualitative study utilises the grounded theory method to analyse interviews with six Chilean novice teachers from different types of schools. The results show that teachers display a greater tendency to stay at their schools when the leadership exercised there is instructional, with a clear emphasis on trust and support for classroom work.