Influence of career management on the retention of local government civil-service teachers in public high schools in Bamako

Abstract

This study analyses the influence of career management on the retention of local government civil-service teachers in public high schools in Bamako. It addresses the following question: how do career-management practices influence the retention of these teachers? The study addresses an underexplored issue: teacher retention within a territorial civil-service framework, distinct from the national civil service. An interpretive qualitative multiple-case design across eleven public high schools draws on 33 semi-structured interviews with 24 distinct participants, including 18 teachers and 6 school managers. Interviews are the unit of analysis, whereas participants are the unit of participation. Manual thematic analysis, supported by a coding matrix and cross-review of categories, indicates that delayed advancement, limited visible career prospects, weak recognition of qualifications and perceived opacity in promotions undermine the intention to remain. This finding is qualified by the role of job security, which supports conditional retention for some teachers. The paper proposes a career-management framework based on administrative reliability, transparent procedures, competence recognition and diversified pathways.

JEL classification: M12; M54; I28.

Type du papier : Empirical Research