A Qualitative Study of the Background, Skill Acquisition, and Learning Preferences of Software Testers

Context: There is an indisputable industrial need for highly skilled individuals in the role of software testers. However, little is known about the educational background of these professionals, their first contact with the role, their preferences in acquiring skills, the impediments they face, and their perception of the software testing role. Objective: In the current paper, we report on the background, skills, learning preferences, and role profiles as described by professionals in software testing, spanning over a significant number of industries, countries, and software development models. Method: We conducted 19 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with software testing practitioners, across eight industries. We performed a content and thematic analysis of the collected data. Results: The practitioners in software testing had diverse educational backgrounds, and their first contact with the testing role was accidental. Exploratory testing was the preferred testing technique, while curiosity was identified as the most important feature in their skill set. Our respondents collaborated extensively with the developers, whom they perceived as a learning source and symbiotic work partner. Conclusion: The professionals in software testing described their skills as a rather undefined heap of knowledge, increasing with each work task. They used mainly informal and hands-on learning approaches. They found it necessary for education providers to present information on software testing. Generally, companies assisted them well in their skill development but need to allocate sufficient time for the learning. We identified five specialties of the role: product owner in testing, UX tester, DevOps tester, test-script automator, and test-process coordinator.