Age-appropriate authentic engineering problems offer educators opportunities to integrate math, science, and technology and foster higher-level learning. However, P-12 teachers typically do not have adequate access to or knowledge about engineering, which limits their ability to bring engineering into their classrooms. This study was conducted to document and analyze P-6 teachers' perceptions of engineering. As part of the pre-post assessment strategy for two different week-long INSPIRE Summer Academies (Local and National), teachers responded to two questions: "What is engineering?" and "What do engineers do?" Qualitative research methods were used to create coding schemes for the written responses to the two questions. Analysis resulted in the creation of seven main coding categories and twenty subcategories which were used to analyze teachers' responses. Findings indicate some significant differences between the two academies and changes in teachers' responses from pre to post-academy. This paper will articulate the methods used to analyze the responses and present findings from the pre and post teacher responses.

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with a joint appointment in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE). She is the chair of the ENE Graduate Committee and she is a member of the Teaching Academy at Purdue. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from ABE in 1997. Her research interests include open-ended problem solving, evaluation of education technology, and first-year and graduate curriculum development.

This paper examines the development of a professional community of practice among graduate students and faculty in the nation's first graduate program in engineering education. A cohort of eleven graduate students and four faculty were interviewed over the course of one year. Additional data sources included direct observations and review of supporting documents. Data were analyzed using grounded theory, narrative inquiry, and cross-case analysis. Results from this study: 1) provide a conceptual and structural framework for other engineering educators; 2) articulate common language, methods, and models for engineering education; and 3) offer practical solutions in developing, recruiting, and retaining talent in the field of engineering education.

and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from North Carolina State University with an emphasis in elementary education. Euridice Oware, Purdue University Euridice Oware is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Washington University and M.S. in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structures and transportation from Purdue University. Euridice is studying 3rd and 4th grade students' perceptions of engineers in an outreach program. Last summer, Euridice focused on program and curriculum assessment for the INSPIRE Summer Academies.