Abstract
This study addresses the critical problem of teacher retention, a growing challenge for education systems where high turnover undermines school stability and instructional quality. The purpose of the article is to identify how intrinsic motivations shape teachers’ long-term intentions to remain in the profession. Using survey data from teachers in Kazakhstan, the analysis applies an ordered logit model to assess intended career length across five categories and a binary logit model to evaluate the likelihood of remaining in teaching for more than ten years. Each motivational factor is examined separately while controlling for personal, school, and external characteristics. The results show that intrinsic, prosocial motivations-particularly the desire to influence children’s development and contribute to society-significantly increase the probability of long-term career intentions, whereas extrinsic factors such as income stability or flexible schedules do not exhibit meaningful effects. Additional determinants include teacher–student relationships, quality of materials, and age differences. The findings suggest that policies aiming to strengthen intrinsic motivation and improve school environments can help enhance teacher retention.