Causes and Challenges of Teacher Attrition in Rural Areas of the Catatumbo Region, Norte de Santander, Colombia (2024–2026)

Abstract

Teacher desertion in rural areas of Colombia, especially in the region of Catatumbo (Norte de Santander), is a complex problem that impacts the quality of education and the development of historically excluded territories. This phenomenon not only responds to individual decisions, but also to a series of structural factors related to adverse working conditions, territorial insecurity, lack of institutional support and emotional exhaustion of teachers. The objective of this research is to analyze the causes and challenges associated with teacher dropout in rural contexts, in order to understand the psychosocial, institutional and territorial factors that influence the permanence or abandonment of teachers. The research is developed under a qualitative approach with action research methodology. To collect information, interviews were conducted with teachers who have abandoned their work in rural areas and focus groups that allowed us to explore their experiences and perceptions in the face of this problem. The results show that the structural limitations of the rural context—such as lack of infrastructure, connectivity, pedagogical resources, and access difficulties—generate professional burnout and demotivation. Likewise, the armed conflict and the perception of territorial insecurity increase the risk of teacher dropout. It is concluded that teacher desertion in Catatumbo responds to an interaction of labor, territorial and emotional factors, which shows the need to strengthen public policies aimed at improving working conditions, security and institutional support for rural teachers.