Why Do We Code? A Theory on Motivations and Challenges in Software Engineering from Education to Practice
Aaliyah Chang, Mariam Guizani, Brittany Johnson
TL;DR
This work investigates why individuals pursue and persist in software engineering by conducting 15 semi-structured interviews and applying the Gioia methodology to derive a grounded theory of motivation and challenge across the education–practice continuum. It identifies intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, persistent barriers to belonging, and progression-related challenges, then introduces the three-phase Exposure–Pursuit–Evaluation ($EPE$) Model to explain how exposure shapes motivation and persistence in SE. The model shows that impactful exposure drives intrinsic fulfillment, while non-impactful exposure relies on extrinsic push, with challenges moderating evaluation and potentially triggering role changes or departures. The study offers actionable guidance for educators and employers to foster intrinsic fulfillment, reduce systemic barriers, and design interventions, while providing a foundation for future longitudinal and interventional research.
Abstract
Motivations and challenges jointly shape how individuals enter, persist, and evolve within software engineering (SE), yet their interplay remains underexplored across the transition from education to professional practice. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews and employed the Gioia Methodology, an adapted grounded theory methodology from organizational behavior, to inductively derive taxonomies of motivations and challenges, and build the Exposure-Pursuit-Evaluation (EPE) Process Model. Our findings reveal that impactful early exposure triggers intrinsic motivations, while non-impactful exposure requires an extrinsic push (e.g., career/ personal goals, external validation). We identify curiosity and avoiding alternatives as a distinct educational drivers, and barriers to belonging as the only challenge persisting across education and career. Our findings show that career progression challenges (e.g., navigating the corporate world) constrain extrinsic fulfillment while technical training challenges, barriers to belonging and threats to motivation constrain intrinsic fulfillment. The theory shows how unmet motivations and recurring challenges influence persistence, career shifts, or departure from the field. Our results provide a grounded model for designing interventions that strengthen intrinsic fulfillment and reduce systemic barriers in SE education and practice.