Identification of patterns in the involvement of novice software developers in software testing processes

Abstract

Background: Testing is often used to make decisions about whether or not to implement software projects. How the software industry effectively engages novice software developers in both general development and testing is less clear; however, it is especially important to determine the views of more experienced developers on this issue. Objectives: We seek to explore how software companies involve novice software developers in software development and testing; to understand how experienced developers involve novice programmers in testing; and to discover systematic patterns in experienced developers' opinions about the involvement of novice software developers. Methods: We conducted a survey of three private software companies and one public institution, taking into account experienced developers. We asked respondents to indicate how they involve novice software developers in their work activities, as well as their perspectives on software testing. Results: We identified 4 patterns that describe the involvement of novice programmers. We identified that, due to the lack of clear processes for involving novice developers in software testing, a key pattern that was identified is how the novice developer is limited when testing a product.