WHEN PRINCIPLE MEETS PRACTICE - TEACHERS CONTRADICTORY RESPONSES TO ANTIRACIST EDUCATION

Ai a time of increasing racial and ethnocultural diversity in Canadian schools, many teachers are reluctant to implement antiracist educatio n. This article draws on qualitative and quantitative data collected a s part of a larger study of teachers, school administrators, and antir acist education policy advisors in five urban school boards across Can ada. Findings indicate that teachers' negative responses to antiracist education are based on (a) their commitment to traditional pedagogic concerns, (b) conservative political views, and (c) conservative views on race and antiracism. Despite commonly expressed support for antira cist education, tensions and contradictions are inherent in the widesp read reluctance to integrate antiracist educational approaches in clas sroom practice.