Exploring the Untapped: Student Perceptions and Participation in OSS

TL;DR

Open-source software (OSS) participation among students is encouraged but remains low, particularly for those who have never contributed. The authors develop a theory-driven model partitioning motivations into intrinsic, extrinsic, and internalized extrinsic factors, and they test it with a survey of $N=241$ CS students using $PLS-SEM$. Key findings show intrinsic motivation ($β=0.276$, $p=0.001$) and internalized extrinsic motivation ($β=0.148$, $p=0.041$) significantly increase interest in contributing, while the effect of extrinsic motivation depends on gender; perceived onboarding barriers did not significantly reduce interest. The study also collects student recommendations to simplify contribution, raise awareness, and provide mentoring and incentives, offering actionable guidance for OSS communities and educators. By providing a replication-ready dataset and a targeted analysis of gender moderation, the work lays groundwork for interventions to attract new student contributors.

Abstract

Open Source Software (OSS) projects offer valuable opportunities to train the next generation of software engineers while benefiting projects and society as a whole. While research has extensively explored student participation in OSS and its use in software engineering education, student participation in OSS is still low, and the perspectives of students who have never contributed remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate the relationship between students' interest in contributing to OSS and their perceptions of barriers and motivational factors. We developed a theoretical model to understand the relationship between students' perceptions of OSS and their interest in contributing. We then surveyed students majoring in computer science and related fields (N=241). Using structural equation modeling techniques, we tested the model and found that intrinsic and internalized extrinsic motivations are positively associated with interest in contributing to OSS projects, while the impact of extrinsic motivation varies by gender. Comparatively, we found no significant relationship between barriers and interest in contributing. Students suggested several ways to make projects more attractive, including increasing awareness of the importance of OSS. Our findings can help communities better prepare to integrate students and encourage educators to enhance interest in OSS by linking participation to specific motivational factors.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Conceptualized PLS-SEM model.
• Figure 2: Item loadings and path coefficients at $p < 0.05$ are shown with full lines; non-significant links with dashed lines.