How do Testers Feel it? An Experience Report on Evaluating TX in an Industrial Context

Abstract

Background: Software development is almost always performed by teams. Consequently, several factors such as environment, human aspects, and technologies adopted are likely to affect individual and team performance. Method: Motivated by this context, we conducted a survey with 27 testers of the SIDIA Institute of Science and Technology. The goal was to understand how human and technological aspects can affect test effectiveness, by considering the practitioners’ perspective on their homologation testing review practices with respect three aspects: the testing infrastructure, how they perceive the value of their contribution, and how they feel about their work. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of testers’ perception using the Tester Experience (TX) approach was conducted. Results: Our results show that by using scenarios, the testers’ perceptions with respect to the value of their contribution and how they feel about their work were clearly the highest rated factors. Conclusion: This work can serve as a basis for other companies in their testing teams to evaluate how the use of testing artifacts and how testing activities can improve TX.