Paths to Testing: Why Women Enter and Remain in Software Testing?
Background. Women bring unique problem-solving skills to software development, often favoring a holistic approach and attention to detail. In software testing, precision and attention to detail are essential as professionals explore system functionalities to identify defects. Recognizing the alignment between these skills and women’s strengths can derive strategies for enhancing diversity in software engineering. Goal. This study investigates the motivations behind women choosing careers in software testing, aiming to provide insights into their reasons for entering and remaining in the field. Method. We used a cross-sectional survey methodology following established software engineering guidelines, collecting data from women in software testing to explore their motivations, experiences, and perspectives. Findings. The findings reveal that women enter software testing due to increased entry-level job opportunities, work-life balance, and even fewer gender stereotypes. Their motivations to stay include the impact of delivering high-quality software, continuous learning opportunities, and the challenges the activities bring to them. However, inclusiveness and career development in the field need improvement for sustained diversity. Conclusion. Preliminary yet significant, these findings offer interesting insights for researchers and practitioners towards the understanding of women’s diverse motivations in software testing and how this understanding is important for fostering professional growth and creating a more inclusive and equitable industry landscape.
Wed 17 JulDisplayed time zone: Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil change
11:00 - 12:30 | Human Aspects 1Research Papers / Industry Papers at Mandacaru Chair(s): Christoph Treude Singapore Management University | ||
11:00 18mTalk | "The Law Doesn’t Work Like a Computer": Exploring Software Licensing Issues Faced by Legal Practitioners Research Papers Nathan Wintersgill William & Mary, Trevor Stalnaker William & Mary, Laura A. Heymann William & Mary, Oscar Chaparro William & Mary, Denys Poshyvanyk William & Mary | ||
11:18 18mTalk | AI-assisted Code Authoring at Scale: Fine-tuning, deploying, and mixed methods evaluation Research Papers Vijayaraghavan Murali Meta Platforms Inc., Chandra Sekhar Maddila Meta Platforms, Inc., Imad Ahmad Meta Platforms, Inc., Michael Bolin Meta Platforms, Inc., Daniel Cheng Meta Platforms Inc., Negar Ghorbani Meta Platforms Inc., Renuka Fernandez Meta Platforms, Inc., Nachiappan Nagappan Meta Platforms, Inc., Peter C Rigby Meta / Concordia University | ||
11:36 18mTalk | An Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Autocomplete in IDEs Research Papers Shaokang Jiang University of California, San Diego, Michael Coblenz University of California, San Diego Pre-print | ||
11:54 18mTalk | Shadows in the Interface: A Comprehensive Study on Dark Patterns Research Papers Liming Nie Nanyang Technological University, Yangyang Zhao Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Chenglin Li Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Xuqiong Luo Changsha University of Science and Technology, Yang Liu Nanyang Technological University | ||
12:12 9mTalk | Paths to Testing: Why Women Enter and Remain in Software Testing? Industry Papers Kleice Silva CESAR School, Ann Barcomb Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Ronnie de Souza Santos University of Calgary |