The study reported in this book demonstrates that teachers engage in career planning as systematically as members of any other profession: career movement of teachers is patterned; status, rewards, location and working conditions matter; and the costs and benefits of vertical and horizontal mobility are carefully calculated. The book is organized into nine chapters, following a listing of tables and figures as well as a foreword. The chapters are organized as follows: (1) an introduction provides background on the sociological study of work, maps the content of occupational sociology, and presents an overview of this study; (2) a review of research and literature relevant to ways of conceptualizing work careers establishes a framework of sociological concepts appropriate for a study of occupations; (3) reports on what is known about teaching careers within the previously developed framework; (4) provides a description of the structural context within which teachers are employed; (5) outlines the research design and procedures adopted; (6) presents information on the personal and professional characteristics of promoted teachers; (7) analyzes career history information on Tasmanian teachers; (8) describes teachers' perceptions of teaching careers; and (9) provides research results, summarizes main findings, offers policy recommendations, and suggests further research needs. Five appendices include propositions tested, information from Education Department personnel files, a copy of a careers in education project questionnaire, individual and group interview questions, and statistics on career profiles of promoted teachers. (LL)