Journal of Information Technology
Vol 13 No 02 (2025): J-Intech : Journal of Information and Technology

Improving Software Defect Prediction Performance Using C4.5 Based Ensemble Learning with AdaBoost and Bagging Techniques

Dede Wintana (Bina Sarana Informatika University)
Dinar Ismunandar (Bina Sarana Informatika University)
Eka Herdit Juningsih (Bina Sarana Informatika University)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Dec 2025

Abstract

Software defect prediction (SDP) plays a crucial role in improving software quality by enabling the early detection of faulty modules during the development phase. However, class imbalance within software defect datasets remains a significant challenge that adversely impacts prediction accuracy. This study aims to address this issue by implementing ensemble learning methods—specifically Bagging and AdaBoost—combined with the C4.5 decision tree algorithm to enhance classification performance. The research utilized five well-known datasets from the NASA MDP Repository (CM1, JM1, KC1, KC2, and PC1), each containing comprehensive software metrics and defect labels. The methodology involved several stages: data preprocessing (normalization and discretization), model training using 10-fold cross-validation, and performance evaluation through metrics such as accuracy and Area Under the Curve (AUC). Results indicate that both ensemble methods outperformed the standalone C4.5 algorithm across all datasets. Notably, the AdaBoost + C4.5 model yielded the highest accuracy in most scenarios, with the PC1 dataset reaching 97.20% accuracy. In comparison, C4.5 alone and C4.5 with Bagging recorded lower values, demonstrating the significant impact of adaptive weighting in AdaBoost. These findings affirm that ensemble learning, particularly AdaBoost, effectively mitigates the impact of class imbalance and improves prediction performance in SDP tasks.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

J-INTECH

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT

Description

Journal of Information and Technology is a journal published by Bhinneka Nusantara University, Malang. The scope of this journal includes IT Governance, IS Strategic Planning, IS Theory and Practices, Management Information System, IT Project Management, Distance Learning, E-Government, Information ...