Here are some of the best questions for a high school sophomore student survey about STEM interest, along with tips to help you create or customize them. With Specific, you can generate your survey in seconds and dive deep into student perspectives using AI-powered feedback methods.
Best open-ended questions to spark insights from students
Open-ended questions are essential for capturing real stories and motivations behind student interest in STEM. They allow students to express challenges, inspirations, and barriers that aren’t always visible in data. This is especially important, as only 16% of American high school seniors are proficient in math and interested in pursuing a STEM career—understanding the “why” behind those numbers can uncover actionable ideas to boost engagement. [1]
What first sparked your interest in science, technology, engineering, or math?
In your own words, what does “STEM” mean to you?
Can you share a memorable experience you've had in a STEM class or activity?
What makes a STEM subject fun or challenging in your opinion?
How supported do you feel by teachers or family in exploring STEM subjects, and why?
What, if anything, keeps you from joining more STEM activities at school?
Which STEM careers do you find most interesting, and why?
Describe any stereotypes or myths about STEM you’ve noticed among your classmates.
How do you think your school could encourage more students to get into STEM?
If you could design your own STEM project, what problem would you want to solve?
Using these questions in your survey lets you hear students’ authentic voices, uncovering what drives or hinders their interest in STEM fields.
Best single-select multiple-choice questions for STEM interest surveys
Single-select multiple-choice questions are a go-to when you need to measure and quantify students’ interests or experiences. They're especially useful for quickly highlighting trends (like how many students participate in STEM clubs) or for opening a conversation with simple, approachable options. Sometimes it’s easier for students to pick a short answer as a starting point, and a well-timed follow-up can dig deeper into their choices.
Question: Which area of STEM are you most interested in exploring further?
Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
Not interested in STEM
Question: Have you participated in any STEM clubs, competitions, or events at your school?
Yes, often
Yes, sometimes
No, but I’d like to
No, not interested
Question: What is the main reason you would or would not pursue a career in STEM?
It matches my interests
I think it offers good job prospects
I don’t feel confident in my abilities
I have limited access to resources/support
Other
When to followup with "why?" Whenever a student selects an option that leaves questions unanswered—like saying they don’t feel confident in their abilities—it’s a great moment to ask “why?” This uncovers what’s behind their answer and can reveal experiences or perceptions that numbers alone won’t show. For example, if a student selects “I have limited access to resources,” a natural follow-up could be: “Can you share a bit more about what resources or support you feel are missing?”
When and why to add the "Other" choice? Include "Other" to uncover unexpected insights that standard choices might miss. Followup questions after an "Other" response can highlight perspectives you hadn’t planned for and help keep your survey relevant, no matter how diverse your student group is.
Should you include an NPS-style question?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) isn’t just for businesses—it’s a powerful signal of student “likelihood to recommend” STEM subjects or experiences to peers. For high school sophomore STEM interest, a single NPS-style question can benchmark broader student enthusiasm and help schools measure trends over time. NPS can also flag both enthusiastic “promoters” and those who need more support, guiding targeted interventions. If you’d like to try an NPS survey for STEM interest, see this pre-built NPS survey example you can customize in seconds!
The power of follow-up questions
The most insightful surveys don’t just ask—they listen. That’s what makes AI-powered follow-up questions so effective: they gently probe for context and clarity, just like a skilled interviewer. At Specific, our conversational surveys use AI to ask meaningful, in-the-moment follow-ups, turning a bland Q&A into a rich dialogue.
Student: "I like science, but it feels hard sometimes."
AI follow-up: "Can you tell me more about what makes science feel hard for you?"
This is how we move from vague responses to real insight—immediately, without needing a back-and-forth over days or weeks. Automated followups mean fewer missed opportunities and no more chasing down students via email for clarity.
How many followups to ask? We find that 2–3 followups are usually enough to get the details you need without overwhelming students. Specific even lets you set a limit, so the survey moves on once it gets a clear answer, keeping conversations efficient and engaging.
This makes it a conversational survey—respondents engage naturally, leading to higher completion rates and richer feedback as they feel heard, not interrogated.
AI survey response analysis is refreshingly easy: Even though open-ended questions generate more unstructured text, our platform’s AI summarizes, analyzes, and helps you draw key insights in minutes, not hours. That’s a game changer, especially as only 3% of girls in the U.S. express an interest in STEM careers [1]—the details matter.
Automated follow-ups are a breakthrough. Just generate your own survey and see how conversations unfold in real time.
Prompting ChatGPT or GPT-4 for great STEM interest survey questions
If you want to invent your own questions with AI chat tools, start simple:
Ask for a list of open-ended questions:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for High School Sophomore Student survey about STEM Interest.
AI tools work better when you add context about your school, student interests, and survey goals. For example:
We’re designing a survey for high school sophomores at a diverse urban public school. Our goal is to understand barriers to STEM engagement and what support would make a difference. Suggest 10 open-ended questions for this STEM Interest survey.
Once you have your list, prompt ChatGPT to organize them for you:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Then, as you pick which categories to explore deeply, ask for more:
Generate 10 questions about “Barriers to Participation” and “Career Aspirations” for the STEM Interest survey for high school sophomores.
What is a conversational survey (and why AI-generation wins)?
Conversational surveys let respondents answer in a way that feels like texting with a friend—not filling out a dry form. Instead of static questions, the AI responds, adapts, and digs deeper in real time. It’s a huge shift compared to manual survey creation or static Google Forms.
Manual Surveys | AI-generated Conversational Surveys |
|---|---|
Pre-defined, one-size-fits-all questions | Dynamic questions tailored to previous answers |
Little context, follow-up is manual | Automatic, real-time follow-up questions |
Slow analysis of qualitative responses | Instant AI-powered analysis and summaries |
Flat, form-like experience | Feels like a natural chat conversation |
Why use AI for high school sophomore student surveys? Students are used to conversational digital tools—AIs like Specific meet them where they are, building trust and increasing honest engagement. Plus, when you design your survey with an AI survey builder, you skip the hardest, most tedious steps and focus on insights that actually matter.
An AI survey example shows just how much richer feedback you can gather, how fast you can iterate, and how easy it is to launch custom surveys, even on a tight timeline. Learn step-by-step how to create a survey like this—you’ll be surprised at how little friction there is for both survey creators and respondents. Specific delivers the best-in-class experience for conversational surveys, making the feedback loop smooth, human, and fun.
See this STEM interest survey example now
Don’t settle for generic forms—see how a conversational STEM interest survey can spark new energy and honest feedback. Create your own now with smart AI-powered questions, dynamic follow-ups, and instant analysis that shows you what students truly care about.