Best questions for high school sophomore student survey about math confidence

Here are some of the best questions for a high school sophomore student survey about math confidence, with tips on how to craft them for rich, honest responses. You can also use Specific to generate a ready-to-use survey in seconds, tailored to this exact audience and topic.

Best open-ended questions for high school sophomore student math confidence surveys

Open-ended questions encourage students to share authentic experiences in their own words. They're perfect for revealing underlying beliefs, anxieties, or valuable suggestions you might never think to ask. Unlike checkboxes, these questions open the door to stories and self-reflection.

These are especially valuable because, as studies show, confidence in math among students varies widely—with only 2 in 10 students feeling confident, and the majority expressing fear about math. [1]

1. Can you describe how you feel when starting a new math topic or chapter in class?

2. What helps you feel more confident when solving difficult math problems?

3. Have you ever changed your opinion about your own math abilities? What caused that change?

4. Can you share an experience where you overcame a math challenge? How did it make you feel?

5. What are your biggest worries about math at school?

6. When you get stuck on a math problem, what do you usually do next?

7. How do your classmates and friends influence your feelings about math?

8. If you could change anything about how math is taught, what would it be?

9. What would make you feel prouder or more positive about your math progress?

10. Do you believe someone can get better at math with practice? Why or why not?

Use these to get under the surface—especially since research tells us that boys' confidence is influenced by peer comparisons, while girls' confidence ties closely to their own performance. [2]

Best single-select multiple-choice questions for high school sophomore student math confidence surveys

Single-select multiple-choice questions are great when you want clear, quantifiable data. They're especially helpful at the start of a survey, or when you want to spark reflection before diving deeper with open questions. Sometimes, it's easier for a student to choose a short answer than to write a detailed response—then you can follow up and dig deeper.

Question: How confident do you feel about your math skills overall?

• Very confident

• Somewhat confident

• Not very confident

• Not confident at all

Question: Which best describes your feelings when tackling challenging math problems?

• I look forward to the challenge

• I try, but worry I’ll get it wrong

• I usually avoid them

• Other

Question: Who most influences how confident you feel about math?

• My teacher

• Friends/classmates

• Parents or guardians

• Myself (my own mindset)

When to follow up with "why?" We always ask "why" in follow-ups when a response needs more detail, or if we want to discover root causes. For example, if someone answers “I’m not confident at all” to a question about math skills, asking “Why do you feel this way?” often uncovers if the issue is about the class, peer comparison, or past experiences—crucial in light of findings that many girls under-rate their math abilities compared to actual performance. [3]

When and why to add the “Other” choice? "Other" lets students share unique influences or experiences—follow-up questions can help surface unexpected insights you would otherwise miss.

NPS-style question for math confidence

The NPS (Net Promoter Score) system, well known in customer research, is surprisingly effective for education surveys. By asking how likely a student is to recommend math to a friend, you capture both confidence and advocacy in a single, simple question. This helps reveal overall sentiment and exposes patterns you can’t spot with generic ratings.

An NPS-style question for this audience could be: “On a scale from 0–10, how likely are you to recommend math (at your school or with your teacher) to someone who’s just entering your grade?” It’s quick, relatable, and is perfect for comparing results over time. To try a ready-made NPS survey built for this scenario, use our special survey builder.

The power of follow-up questions

What truly sets a conversational survey apart, like those you can build on Specific, is the automated follow-up questions—crafted to probe responses naturally and get richer, deeper insight with less effort. These follow-ups feel like an expert interviewer is truly listening and curious about what’s beneath the first answer.

• Student: “I lose confidence when I get stuck on word problems.”

• AI follow-up: “Can you share an example or explain what makes word problems challenging for you?”

Without this follow-up, all you’d have is: “I lose confidence on word problems.” Now, you get specific details about stress, prior experiences, or classroom environment.

How many follow-ups to ask? We find that 2–3 follow-up questions are plenty—enough to clarify or probe for examples without survey fatigue. Specific lets you set limits and lets students skip to the next question if you’ve gotten what you need.

This makes it a conversational survey: Because each response can spark a unique and meaningful exchange, the feedback process is more natural and honest—students are more likely to share real experiences, not just what they think you want to hear.

AI survey response analysis is easy—even when you collect lots of text answers, you can use AI analysis tools to instantly summarize themes and extract action points from your survey responses. No need to read each reply one by one.

Automated follow-up questions are a new standard—try generating a survey and experience the difference compared to static forms.

How to prompt ChatGPT (or another AI) for great math confidence survey questions

If you want to brainstorm your own survey questions using AI, the first place to start is with a clear prompt. For example:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for High School Sophomore Student survey about Math Confidence.

The more context you share, the better. Add details about your goal, the school context, or what you want to improve. For instance:

I'm a high school math teacher at a diverse suburban school. I want to create a survey for sophomore students to understand their math confidence—what helps them improve, what challenges they face, who influences them, and how their feelings about math have changed over time. Please suggest 10 open-ended and 5 multiple-choice questions with answer options.

Next, ask the AI to help organize your questions for better structure:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Finally, dive deeper into core topics by focusing on the best categories:

Generate 10 tailored questions for the categories “Growth Mindset about Math”, “Peer Influence”, and “Challenge Strategies”.

With this approach, you’ll ensure your survey is structured, relevant, and truly insightful.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey is built to feel like a friendly, back-and-forth chat, not a test. Instead of a static form, questions adapt to each student’s answers—proactively clarifying, probing, and making sure everything is understood. AI-driven surveys, like those from Specific, take care of the heavy lifting, making the whole process smoother for both creators and respondents.

Here’s a quick comparison:

Why use AI for high school sophomore student surveys? For this audience, every student’s experience is unique—AI surveys can personalize each conversation, uncover deeper insights across gender or peer dynamics, and make the process less intimidating, reducing survey anxiety and boosting participation. With AI survey generator tools, you get expert-quality surveys without any manual setup—and students love the natural flow of conversation.

Specific gives you the smoothest conversational survey experience available today, paired with smart analysis and an effortless interface. If you want step-by-step tips, check out how to create a survey like this— or try building one yourself in minutes.

See this math confidence survey example now

Unlock real, actionable insights from your sophomores with a conversational survey that adapts and learns as it goes. See just how easy it can be to launch, engage, and spot patterns you’d never catch in a traditional form—get started in moments and never look back.