Challenges and Opportunities: Implementing Diversity and Inclusion in Software Engineering University Level Education in Finland

TL;DR

This paper explores the current state of diversity and inclusion in Finnish software engineering university education, presenting a framework for integrating D&I themes into curricula and highlighting the need for ongoing diversity-aware training.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework for understanding and implementing D&I in software engineering education at the university level in Finland.

Findings

Teachers recognize the importance of D&I in curricula

A framework for D&I integration in software engineering education is proposed

There is a need for increased diversity-aware training in universities

Abstract

Considerable efforts have been made at the high school level to encourage girls to pursue software engineering careers and raise awareness about diversity within the field. Similarly, software companies have become more active in diversity and inclusion (D&I) topics, aiming to create more inclusive work environments. However, the way diversity and inclusion are approached inside software engineering university education remains less clear. This study investigates the current state of D&I in software engineering education and faculties in Finland. An online survey (N=30) was conducted among Finnish software engineering university teachers to investigate which approaches and case examples of D&I are most commonly used by software engineering teachers in Finland. In addition, it was researched how software engineering teachers perceive the importance of D&I in their courses. As a result of the quantitative and thematic analysis, a framework to identify attitudes, approaches, challenges and pedagogical strategies when implementing D&I themes in software engineering education is presented. This framework also offers a process for integrating D&I themes for the curriculum or at the faculty level. The findings of this study emphasize that there is a continuing need for diverse-aware education and training. The results underline the responsibility of universities to ensure that future professionals are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to promote D&I in the field of software engineering.