Here are some of the best questions for a High School Junior Student survey about sense of belonging at school, alongside proven tips for creating them. You can use Specific to instantly generate this type of survey—no manual form building, just expert-crafted feedback in seconds.
Best open-ended questions for a high school junior student survey about sense of belonging at school
Open-ended questions give students room to describe their experiences in their own words. They let you capture feelings, stories, and context that basic polls miss. If you want to understand “why” and “how,” these questions spark deeper insight—especially when paired with AI-powered follow-up probing. With 51% of U.S. high school students saying they don’t feel a sense of belonging at their school, it’s crucial to dig into the real “why” behind the stats. [4]
When do you feel most connected to others at school, and what makes those moments stand out?
Can you describe a time when you felt like you really belonged at school?
Are there situations or places where you feel left out? What happens in those situations?
Which people or groups have helped you feel included or supported this year?
What activities or classes make you feel comfortable and welcomed? Why?
If you could change one thing about our school to help people feel more like they belong, what would it be?
How do your teachers or staff help—or sometimes make it harder—for you to feel part of the school community?
Do you ever feel like an outsider at school? If yes, can you share more about those moments?
What would help new students feel like they are part of our school from day one?
What advice would you give to someone who wants to help others feel included?
These open-ended questions, especially when followed up conversationally, often reveal the small signals, subtle barriers, and hidden positives influencing students’ sense of belonging. Recent research shows that strong belonging at school correlates with better mental health and higher academic achievement. [3][6]
Best single-select multiple-choice questions for high school junior student survey about sense of belonging at school
Single-select multiple-choice questions are great when you want to quantify trends or quickly spark a conversation. They’re essential for measuring how widespread certain perceptions are and make it less daunting for students who might not know where to start. These are especially useful up front—think ice-breaker questions—or if you want to spot where to dig deeper with follow-ups.
Question: How often do you feel like you truly belong at school?
Always
Most of the time
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Question: In which areas do you feel most included at school?
Classrooms (during lessons)
Clubs or extracurriculars
Cafeteria or social spaces
Sports teams
Other
Question: Do you have at least one close friend at school?
Yes, many
Yes, a few
No, not really
When to followup with "why?" Anytime you want to turn a quick answer into real understanding, ask “why” after their pick. For example, if a student answers “Rarely” to feeling they belong, a follow-up like “Can you share what makes it hard for you to feel like you belong?” can surface the root cause. This kind of contextual probing is where conversational surveys excel over static forms.
When and why to add the "Other" choice? “Other” is ideal when your list of options might miss unusual answers. Any time you want to surface the unexpected, add “Other,” then use a follow-up: “You chose ‘Other’—can you tell us more?” This often uncovers trends you weren’t even looking for.
Should you use an NPS-style question in a high school junior student survey about sense of belonging at school?
NPS (Net Promoter Score) isn’t just for businesses. In school life, the same style of question—“On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend your school to a friend because you feel you belong here?”—quantifies emotional connection in a way that’s surprisingly powerful. With only half of high schoolers in the U.S. feeling a sense of belonging, tracking this number over time signals progress (or problems) in a clear, comparable format. [4] To make it effortless, we let you generate this NPS survey instantly.
The power of follow-up questions
Specific’s core strength is dynamic, AI-powered probing. Our automated follow-up questions feature transforms bland answers into real stories and actionable context. Instead of just accepting “I don’t feel included,” our AI gently asks, “What would help you feel more included?” It’s like a great researcher sitting beside each respondent, asking the smart clarifications you wish you had time to follow up on yourself.
For instance, consider how unclear or vague answers might look without follow-ups:
Student: “I just don’t really fit in.”
AI follow-up: “Can you tell me about a specific moment when you felt this way? What happened?”
Student: “Sometimes I feel left out in class.”
AI follow-up: “What about those classes makes you feel left out? Is it certain people, activities, or something else?”
How many followups to ask? In most cases, 2–3 rounds of clarifying or probing is enough—just enough to get depth, not annoy. With Specific, you can set this limit and allow skipping ahead once you have the info you need.
This makes it a conversational survey. Instead of a static form, students experience a genuine conversation—making them more likely to open up and share.
AI survey analysis, instant insights: Even with lots of open-ended answers, analyzing responses is easy. Thanks to our AI survey response analysis, you can chat with AI about the data and surface main themes right away—no more manual coding or endless spreadsheets.
These automated followups are a new, game-changing concept for surveys. If you’ve only used traditional forms, I’d urge you to build a sample survey and try it—you’ll instantly see the difference.
Prompt engineering: how to write great AI prompts for high school junior student survey about sense of belonging at school
If you’re using ChatGPT, Specific, or any advanced AI survey builder, your results are only as good as your prompt. Here’s how to get better questions every time:
Start with something simple:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for high school junior student survey about sense of belonging at school.
But prompts work best with context. Give the AI details about your school, goals, challenges, or any known issues for sharper focus:
We are a public high school with a mix of long-time residents and new immigrant families. Our goal is to identify what helps juniors feel integrated and valued, and spot any gaps. Suggest 10 open-ended questions for juniors about sense of belonging at school.
Then, have the AI help categorize your questions for balance:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Review categories, pick areas for deeper focus, then prompt:
Generate 10 questions for categories like peer relationships, classroom environment, and extracurricular activities.
This step-by-step approach elevates your AI survey from generic to expertly targeted.
What is a conversational survey?
A conversational survey feels more like an instant message than a test. Instead of just answering question after question on a form, students are drawn in by AI that responds, explores, and picks up on the context of their answers. This is what makes survey-taking with Specific genuinely different: higher honesty, more detailed answers, and a much more engaging experience.
Let’s compare:
Manual survey creation | AI-generated conversational survey |
|---|---|
Type every question yourself | Describe your goals; AI professionally generates tailored questions |
No dynamic followup—just static logic | AI asks smart, contextual follow-up questions in real time |
Basic analytics (if any) | Automatic, in-depth AI-powered qualitative analysis |
Slow, hard to adapt or edit | Revise instantly with natural language via AI survey editor |
Why use AI for high school junior student surveys? Empathy, privacy, and flexibility. AI surveys let students respond how and when they want—without pressure. The smart, conversational format makes it less daunting to share sensitive feelings (especially for juniors navigating tough social waters). Given that about a third of students worldwide report not feeling school belonging and one-sixth feel lonely [2], removing barriers to honest feedback is non-negotiable. “AI survey example” questions show up in conversation, tailored for each context, and you can see how to create a survey for this group in-depth.
Specific delivers best-in-class conversational surveys for this very reason: students are more likely to finish, you get richer feedback, and both creators and respondents enjoy the process. It feels natural—because it is.
See this sense of belonging at school survey example now
Build a conversational survey tailored for high school juniors—backed by research and powered by AI—so you get insightful, honest feedback that shapes a better and more inclusive school experience. Start using smart automation and AI-powered analysis now to level up your feedback process.