School principals’ work characteristics and wellbeing in relation to their intention to quit and turnover: a systematic literature review

School principals’ psychological health is considered an essential element of the educational mission. Therefore, wellbeing at work is important as it plays a fundamental role in overall psychological health. Indeed, according to some studies, wellbeing may enhance principals’ retention, but the empirical evidence supporting this relationship remains limited. Given the global concern over principals’ retention, this systematic literature review aims to explore the relationships between their work characteristics, their wellbeing, and their intention to quit or turnover. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this systematic literature review focuses on peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2024. A total of 18 empirical articles were identified. Job complexity, job autonomy, organizational and social support, workload, school characteristics, and educational policies are different factors related to both the wellbeing and the intention to quit or the turnover of school principals. Although this systematic literature review reveals an increase in the number of studies on the wellbeing and intention to quit or turnover of school principals, gaps remain concerning the associations between their work characteristics, the mediating role of wellbeing, and its influence on their intention to quit or turnover.