STEM survey questions for students: interest, confidence and identity
Good STEM questions for students ask how a student feels about science, technology, engineering and math, whether they see themselves as a STEM person, and what they might do next. The core 12 covers all three in about six minutes; the optional sets add math confidence, class experience, careers and program feedback.
- 36questions
- 12in the core set
- 6 minfor the core
- Grade 6to college
By Michael Hodge, BSc Psychology Updated September 2026
All 36 STEM survey questions
The STEM core 12 arrives pre-selected. Tick a whole set for math, class experience, careers or a program, or pick STEM questions one by one. Every item lists the options a student picks from, plus a short note on reading high and low scores, so the survey runs online or on paper.
Core 12: interest, confidence and identity12 questions
Seven statements a student agrees or disagrees with, a favourite subject, an activity choice, STEM outside class and two open questions. Run these alone and you still have a full picture.
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I look forward to my STEM lessons this term.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreePlain interest, tied to this term, so a new unit or teacher shows up in the next round.
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When a math or science problem gets hard, I keep going.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreePersistence on hard problems, which grades alone do not show.
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I could explain something from STEM class to a friend.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA student-sized test of understanding that needs no grades.
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I see myself as a STEM person.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSelf-recognition, one of the four parts of STEM identity. It can stay low even when grades are high.3
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My teachers think I am good at STEM subjects.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeRecognition by others: the part of STEM identity a student cannot give themselves.3
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What I learn in STEM classes helps me outside school.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeUsefulness. Low agreement tells you lessons need a real-world hook.
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I can picture myself in a job that uses STEM.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeOpenness to a STEM future, asked without making students name a career.
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Which STEM subject do you enjoy most?
ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMathNone yetExpressed interest. STEM is four subjects, and this shows which one carries the class.4
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On a free afternoon, which would you rather do?
Build or fix somethingRun an experimentCode a game or appSolve a number puzzleSomething elseInterest shown through a choice of activity, not a label. Read it next to the favourite subject.4
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How often do you do STEM things outside class, like clubs, coding or building?
NeverA few times a yearAbout once a monthMost weeksMost daysClubs, coding and building at home show interest that class grades miss.
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Which STEM lesson or project from this year do you remember best, and why?
Open answerTells you what to repeat. The "why" part names the hook: hands-on, real problem, or a challenge.
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What would make STEM classes better for you?
Open answerOne open door for ideas. Sort the answers into three or four themes before you read the scores.
Math confidence8 questions
For math teachers and tutors, or when the core shows math is the weak spot. Six everyday math tasks rated for confidence, then test nerves and homework time.
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How confident are you solving word problems?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentWord problems mix reading and math, so they catch students that plain sums miss.
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How confident are you with fractions and percentages?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentThe skill most later topics lean on, from ratios to algebra.
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How confident are you reading data from a graph?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentThe math that science and social studies use every week.
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How confident are you solving an equation for x?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentThe entry point to algebra. Compare it across grades to see where the drop starts.
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How confident are you doing math in your head?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentMental math confidence shows how comfortable students feel with numbers themselves.
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How confident are you estimating before you calculate?
Not at all confident12345Extremely confident1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Extremely confidentEstimating is how students catch their own mistakes. Few surveys ask about it.
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How do you usually feel right before a math test?
CalmA bit nervousVery nervousIt depends on the topicA gentle way to spot math anxiety without calling it that.
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In a normal school week, how long do you spend on math homework?
NoneUnder 1 hour1 to under 3 hours3 to under 5 hours5 hours or moreA number answer in ranges that never overlap, so every student has exactly one box to tick.
In your STEM classes5 questions
Add these when you want to know how STEM lessons feel from a student desk: hands-on time, safety to ask, real problems and fair group work.
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How often do you do hands-on work in STEM classes, like labs or builds?
Every weekEvery few weeksOnce or twice a termNeverHands-on time in a number of weeks, not a feeling, so you can compare classes fairly.
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I can ask a question in STEM class without feeling silly.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSafety to ask. A low score often explains low confidence scores.
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Our STEM lessons connect to real problems people have.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeRelevance. Read it next to the core statement on usefulness outside school.
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In group projects, everyone gets a real job to do.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSome students always end up taking notes while others build. This finds it.
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I have the device and internet I need for STEM homework.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeAccess. A low score is a practical problem a school can often fix quickly.
Your future in STEM5 questions
For counsellors and career days, mostly grades 8 to 12. Fields that appeal, a role model, plans after school and next year's classes.
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Which of these fields would you like to find out more about?
MedicineCodingEngineeringEnvironmentSpaceAnimalsDataTick all that applyShows which career talks, visits or clubs would fill the room.
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Do you know an adult who works in a STEM job?
Yes, in my familyYes, someone elseNoNot sureStudents who answer no are the first to invite to a mentor visit or career talk.
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After high school, what do you plan to do first?
Four-year collegeTwo-year collegeApprenticeshipStart workingNot sure yetPlans shape which STEM routes to show a student: degrees, trades or a job with training.
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I know which classes to take for a STEM job I might want.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeKnowing the route. A low score is a job for the counselling team, not the student.
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Do you plan to take an advanced math or science class next year?
YesNoNot sureNot offered at my schoolThe clearest early sign of who is staying on a STEM path.
After a STEM program4 questions
For camps, clubs, fairs and workshops. Ask the core 12 before the program starts, then again at the end with these four added.
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This program made me more interested in STEM.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeThe student's own view of change. Check it against the before and after core scores.
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I tried something here I had never done before.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeNew experiences are what a program adds that a normal class cannot.
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I would sign up for another program like this one.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA plain return intention. Useful in grant reports and for planning next year.
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What was the best moment of the program for you?
Open answerGives you real quotes for the report and shows which activity to keep.
About you (optional)2 questions
Two optional questions for comparing grade bands or genders. Before you share a split, check every slice has a crowd large enough to hide any one student.
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What grade are you in?
Grade 6 to 8Grade 9 to 10Grade 11 to 12CollegePrefer not to sayLets you see whether answers change between middle and high school.
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How do you describe your gender?
Girl or womanBoy or manIn another wayPrefer not to sayLets you check whether one group feels less recognised in STEM than another.
End of a lab session? Ask these five
Short on time at the end of a lab or club session? Ask these five: interest, identity, recognition, a future in STEM and one idea from the students.
- 01I look forward to my STEM lessons this term.
- 02I see myself as a STEM person.
- 03My teachers think I am good at STEM subjects.
- 04I can picture myself in a job that uses STEM.
- 05What would make STEM classes better for you?
What makes STEM survey answers useful
A STEM survey works when it asks about the student, not the subject. Three choices in the core come straight from research on why students stay with STEM.
Students meeting the ACT STEM Benchmark, by kind of interest
Ask about interest in two ways
ACT measures STEM interest twice: the major or job a student names, and the activities they prefer on an interest inventory. Of 2017 graduates who showed both, 33% met the ACT STEM Benchmark, against 23% who only named a STEM path and 20% who only showed it through activities.4 The core does the same with a favourite subject and a free-afternoon choice. When the two answers match, the interest is solid.
Ask if they feel like a STEM person
Research on STEM identity describes four parts: feeling able, being interested, seeing yourself as a STEM person, and being seen that way by others.3 Most STEM surveys stop at the first two. Two core statements cover the others, so you can spot the capable student who still says "that is not me".
Start in middle school, then repeat
Children start sorting out their STEM interests and career ideas as early as elementary school.3 Asking first in grade 11 is too late to change much. Run the core in grade 6 or 7, repeat it each year with the same wording, and watch which statements slip.
Need a fast warm-up before a STEM lesson? Put the favourite-subject question up on the classroom screen as a free live poll. Students tap an answer on a phone, the bars fill in, and the class has a talking point before the lesson starts. To share the link with a class, read our poll-making walkthrough.
Chart the class results in two minutes
Enter how many students picked each number on the seven core statements. All seven are worded so that agreement is the healthy answer, which means the lowest bar points to your starting place. Print the chart for a staff meeting or show it to the class.
- 1Tally the 1s to 5s per statement; the bars convert the 4s and 5s to percent agree.
- 2If "I see myself as a STEM person" sits well below "I keep going", students can do the work but do not feel they belong. Praise specific STEM work in front of the class.
- 3If usefulness comes last, start the next unit with a real problem from your town or a job students know.
- 4Run it again after the change, with the same wording, and put the old and new charts side by side.
Core STEM statements
Questions with number answers
Some searches ask for numerical survey questions for students. Here is how the number questions in this set work, and how to summarise each one for a class report or a research project.
| Format | Example here | How to sum it up |
|---|---|---|
| Rating from 1 to 5 | I see myself as a STEM person. | Percent who chose 4 or 5 |
| Number in ranges | Hours of math homework a week | Share in each range, then the middle range |
| How often | STEM things outside class | Share at "most weeks" or more |
The ranges you offer change the answers
People use the answer ranges as a hint about what is normal. In a classic German study, 16.2% of people said they watched more than two and a half hours of TV a day when the ranges stopped there. When the ranges started at two and a half hours, 37.5% did.5 So keep ranges wide enough for the heaviest users, start at zero, and never let two ranges overlap. The homework question in the math set follows all three rules.
More question sets that suit school projects are on the education survey questions page.
No screens in the lab? Use the printed version
Many STEM programs meet in a lab or workshop with no screens handy. Print the questionnaire, collect it at the door and tally it on the worksheet. Each PDF prints on US letter or A4 paper.
STEM student questionnaire
Page one opens with a line on what STEM means, followed by the core 12 with a box to tick for each answer. The math, class, future, program and About you sets come after.
Download PDF
Results worksheet
Count favourite subjects and the 1 to 5 answers on every core statement, work out percents, and circle the lowest statement as your next focus.
Download PDFMeasuring a STEM club, camp or program
Funders ask whether a program changed anything. A before and after survey is the simplest honest answer.
- Give the core 12 on day one, before any activity.
- Give the same 12 on the last day, plus the four program questions.
- Ask students to write a code they will remember, such as the first two letters of a pet's name and their birth month, on both copies. You can match pairs without names.
- For each statement, compare the percent who agree before and after. Report the two biggest changes and the one that did not move.
When a funder asks for a published scale
The S-STEM survey from the Friday Institute at NC State measures attitudes to math, science, engineering and technology, and 21st century learning, plus interest in 12 career fields.1 Its middle and high school version was tested with 9,081 students in grades 6 to 12.1 A later study found it worked the same way across grades, genders and ethnic groups.2 It is free for non-commercial educational use with credit to the source. Take its items from the Friday Institute; every question on this page is our own wording.
For a student research project
Pick one question to answer, such as whether students who know an adult in a STEM job are more likely to picture themselves in one. Aim for at least 30 students in each group you compare, and open the survey with one line saying it is a class project and answers are anonymous.
Do you like STEM? Four questions to ask instead
Four mistakes that turn up in many STEM questionnaires, and the version to use instead. Our survey question library has fixes for other question types too.
Do you like STEM?
Which STEM subject do you enjoy most?
I look forward to my STEM lessons this term.
STEM is four subjects. A student can love coding and dread math, and one yes or no hides that.
Are you good at math and science?
How confident are you solving word problems?
When a math or science problem gets hard, I keep going.
Two subjects in one question, and "good at" invites modesty. Ask about specific tasks.
How many hours do you study math? 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3+
In a normal school week, how long do you spend on math homework? (None, Under 1 hour, 1 to under 3 hours ...)
A student who studies exactly 2 hours fits two boxes. Ranges must never overlap.
Wouldn't engineering be a great career for you?
I can picture myself in a job that uses STEM.
The weak version hints at the answer you hope for. A neutral statement lets the unsure ones say so.
What teachers and program leads ask about STEM surveys
For teachers, program leaders and students running their own survey.
What are STEM questions?
In a school survey, STEM questions ask students about their experience of science, technology, engineering and math: how interested and confident they feel, and whether they picture a STEM future. That is what this page covers. Quiz questions that test STEM knowledge are a different job.
How do you measure student interest in STEM?
Ask it more than one way: a direct statement ("I look forward to my STEM lessons"), a favourite subject, and a choice between activities. Repeat the same questions each term or before and after a program, and compare the percent who agree.
What are numerical survey questions for students?
Questions answered with a number: a rating from 1 to 5, a count such as clubs joined, or a range such as hours of homework a week. They are easy to chart. Keep ranges from overlapping and include zero.
Can elementary students answer a STEM survey?
Yes, from about grade 4. Read the statements out loud, skip the careers set and give three choices instead of five: yes, sometimes, no. The S-STEM survey has a separate version for grades 4 and 5 for the same reason.
Should a STEM survey be anonymous?
Yes. Students are more honest about feeling lost in math when their name is not attached. For before and after comparisons, match copies with a code the student makes up, not a name.
Give the next class the STEM core
Send the STEM core 12 from the survey builder today, with the math or program set bolted on if it helps, or print copies for the lab bench.
