School Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: MotivationThe School Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) measures motivation orientations in children. Subscore(s): There are eight subscores: Mastery orientation, Intrinsic motivation, Cooperative orientation, Individual orientation, Ego orientation, Competition orientation, Orientation to approach…School Social Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (SSBS-2)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS) are sold by Brookes Publishing and measure social competence and antisocial behavior (with 32 items measuring each). They are filled out by teachers and evaluated by psychologists, and are meant to be accompanied by the Home & Community Social Behavior…Science Capital Questionnaire (Archer et al., 2015)
Expert NotesStrengths:Grounded in a strong sociological framework linking science participation, identity, and aspirations
Useful for understanding whether programs are changing students’ interest or plans in science
Helps explain why some students feel confident in science and see themselves as “science people”
Looks at science experiences both in and out of school, not just test performance
Cautions:Combines many ideas into one overall score, which can make results harder to interpret
Based on students’ self-reports rather than direct evidence of learning or behavior
Works best alongside interviews or observations, not as a stand-alone measure
Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Science educationThe Science Capital Questionnaire is a student survey that measures young people’s access to and engagement with science-related resources, experiences, and networks. Developed by Archer and colleagues in 2015, the questionnaire assesses “science capital,” which includes science-related knowledge,…Science Concepts Pre–Post Assessment (Williams et al., 2012)
Expert NotesStrengths:Uses pre- and post-lesson measures with aligned content questions, allowing for direct comparison of students’ conceptual understanding before and after the instructional intervention.
Cautions:Uses relatively simple scoring (e.g., binary correct/incorrect for content questions), which may not capture partial understanding or nuances in students’ reasoning.
Topics: Student LearningThis science assessment consists of pre- and post-lesson survey instruments designed to measure students’ understanding of science concepts following participation in LEGO Mindstorms-based activities. The assessments include both content and evaluation questions and are administered immediately…Science Discourse Instrument
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe Science Discourse Instrument (SDI) is an observation tool and rubric used to evaluate the quality of discussions in science classrooms. There are six categories for observation in the SDI, which are considered essential to strong discourse in science classrooms, three of the categories focus on…Science Instructional Practices Survey Instrument (SIPS)
Expert NotesStrengths:Covers a broad range of instructional approaches beyond traditional inquiry
Well-suited for large-scale studies of professional development and policy implementation
Cautions:Interpretation depends on teachers’ understanding of NGSS practices
Less sensitive for fine-grained instructional analysis at the classroom level
Best used in combination with observations or other measures, especially in elementary settings
Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Science educationThe Science Instructional Practices Survey Instrument (SIPS) is a teacher survey designed to measure classroom instructional practices aligned with the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and related reform efforts. Developed in response to the need for a more comprehensive and…Science Interest and Classroom Culture Survey (Singelton et al., 2023)
Expert NotesStrengths:Focuses on how classroom culture (working together and feeling cared for) supports student interest in science
Especially useful for understanding the experiences of students from historically marginalized groups
Cautions:Developed and tested within specific instructional contexts (e.g., OpenSciEd units)
Best for understanding patterns across classrooms, not making claims about individual students
Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Science educationThe Science Interest and Classroom Culture Survey is a teacher questionnaire that measures beliefs, preparedness, and instructional practices related to science instruction and classroom culture. Developed by Singelton and colleagues in 2023, the survey focuses on how teachers are enacting…Science-K Inventory (SK-I)
Expert NotesStrengths:Provides a comprehensive assessment of scientific reasoning by covering multiple core dimensions (experimentation, data interpretation, and understanding the nature of science).
Cautions:Relies on multiple-choice, story-based items, which may limit its ability to capture students’ full reasoning processes or how they perform scientific reasoning in hands-on or open-ended inquiry situations.
Topics: Student LearningThe Science-K Inventory (SK-I) is an assessment instrument designed to measure primary students’ scientific reasoning skills through structured, scenario-based tasks. The instrument consists of 30 multiple-choice items organized into three components: experimentation, data interpretation, and…Science Matters Pre/post Assessment
Expert NotesStrengths:Each NGSS aligned unit inlcudes a pre and post assessment in addition to a formative assessment for teachers to measure student learning.
Cautions:Embedded assessments are closely tied to specific instructional contexts and storylines in the Science Matters curriculum.
Topics: Student LearningThe Science Matters lesson units include an integrated system of assessments embedded within multi-lesson instructional sequences across elementary science domains, including life science, physical science, and earth science. Each unit is organized as a coherent progression of lessons connected…Science Motivation Questionnaire II
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability (scores are highly consistent within each motivation component). Validated with U.S. college science majors and non-science majors; scores were related to college science GPA, especially self-efficacy.
Cautions:Validation has primarily been conducted within a single subject area, which may limit generalizability to other disciplinary contexts.
Topics: Student LearningTags: Motivation, Student engagementThe Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ-II) is a 25-item self-report questionnaire that measures students’ motivation to learn science in college courses. It includes five subscales: intrinsic motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, career motivation, and grade motivation. The…Science Practices Epistemic Survey Suite (includes: Epistemic Orientation Survey [EOS], Epistemic Nature of Science Practice Survey [ENSP], Science Practice Implementation Survey [SPI]; Kite et al., 2021)
Expert NotesStrengths:Provides insight for professional development by identifying areas where teachers may need support in implementing science-as-practice approaches.
Cautions:Relies on self-reported implementation, so actual classroom practice may differ (desirability bias possible)
Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTags: Science educationThis suite of surveys is designed to explore how secondary science teachers understand and implement the NGSS science practices. Together, the surveys measure three interconnected aspects: teachers’ epistemic orientations (views about how scientific knowledge is generated), their understanding of…Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentThe Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) can be used to measure science teachers‘self-efficacy and outcome expectancy across all levels of teaching. The STEBI-A is the version recommended for use with in-service teachers; the STEBI-B is the version recommended for use with pre…Sedlacek Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingTags: Higher educationThe Sedlacek Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ) assesses eight aspects of experiential and contextual intelligence. It was designed to provide information that could be used by advisors to work with students developmentally. Subscore(s): There are eight subscores: Positive self-concept, Realistic…SEL in the Classroom Self-Assessment
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentIt is important that teachers, rather than counselors or support staff, take the lead on delivering explicit SEL instruction. This approach allows teachers to form strong relationships with their students and integrate SEL concepts throughout all instruction so students can practice and apply SEL…SEL Program Quality Assessment
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe Social and Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA) is an efficient and effective, research-validated observational tool for assessing adult youth leader practices that support social and emotional learning. Intended to be used for programs serving young people in grades K-12,…SEL Strengths Builder
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe SEL Strengths Builder Method is an extension of the evidence-based Assess-Plan-Improve continuous improvement sequence (YPQI). The Strengths Builder method includes three areas of assessment designed to focus OST staff on a program’s SEL strengths: 1. Assessing SEL Curriculum Design: Build a…Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Teacher and Leader DevelopmentTags: Instructional practicesThis self-assessment tool is designed to help educators (teachers, school staff, and out-of-school time professionals) reflect upon (a) their own social and emotional competencies (SEC) and (b) their capacities to implement current practices that influence student SEL or the conditions they create…Self‐Description Questionnaire for Preschoolers (SDQP)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe SDQP was designed to assess two areas of academic self‐concept (Verbal and Math) and four areas of nonacademic self‐concept (Physical, Appearance, Peers, and Parents). for preschool children (preschool children do not clearly understand General self‐concept items; see also Harter & Pike, 1984) …Self Determination Inventory (SDI)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe SDI is a set of measures to assess a student's self determination. It includes questions about choice making, goal setting, and decision making. The Inventory includes a self-report measure for people aged 13-22 with or without disabilities, as well as a parent or teacher report for an outside…Self-Determination Scale
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability for assessing self-determination and autonomous motivation in college students.
Cautions:Evidence is limited for students younger than college-age.
Topics: Student LearningTags: Motivation, Student engagementThe self-determination scale is a 10-item scale that was developed to assess a person's self-determination and individual differences in autonomous decision-making. Includes 2 subscales: awareness of one-self and choice in one's action. Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability; validated for assessing readiness for self-directed learning and identifying students’ learning needs.
Cautions:Evidence is limited in school settings other than postsecondary and health-professions education; factor structure varies across populations, so scores should be interpreted cautiously across settings.
Topics: Student LearningTags: Motivation, Student engagementThe Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) is a 52-item survey instrument. It is a diagnostic tool used to measure a person's readiness for self-directed learning. Self-directed learning is the amount of responsibility a person accepts for their own learning. This readiness can vary based…Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (Elementary) (SDLRS-E)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) measures the attitudes and skills that are associated with an individual's readiness to manage his or her own learning. Note: The overview provided for this instrument includes content that may have been sourced from the instrument publisher's or…Self-Efficacy for Learning Form
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability; validated with U.S. middle and high school students for assessing confidence in managing learning tasks and strategies. Useful for examining relationships between self-efficacy for learning, self-regulated learning, and academic performance.
Cautions:Scores may have limited sensitivity to differences across specific learning contexts or courses.
Topics: Student LearningTags: College readinessThe Self-Efficacy for Learning Form (SELF) is a self-report survey that measures students’ confidence in their ability to use self-regulated learning strategies for academic tasks. It focuses on beliefs about using processes such as planning, organizing, monitoring, and managing learning. An…Self-Efficacy for Programming and Physics
Expert NotesStrengths:Sensitive to differences following instruction, meaning it can be used to collect evidence of whether an instructional intervention increased programming and physics self-efficacy.
Cautions:Limited validation outside Taiwanese students and interdisciplinary computational physics.
Topics: Student LearningTags: Motivation, Student engagementThe Self-Efficacy for Programming and Physics measure is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess students’ confidence in their ability to use programming and physics skills in a modeling-based learning context. It focuses on self-efficacy for tasks involved in representing and solving…Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability; validated with undergraduate students for assessing confidence in managing their own learning.
Cautions:Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity remains limited.
Topics: Student LearningTags: College readinessThe Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale (SESRL) is a self-report measure of students’ confidence in their ability to use self-regulated learning strategies. It assesses beliefs about managing academic tasks, such as completing assignments, studying, and staying focused when learning…Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C)
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThe SEQ-C measures children's self-efficacy. It was designed to be used in the study of affective disorders. Subscore(s): Academic self-efficacy, Social self-efficacy, Emotional self-efficacy Note: The overview provided for this instrument includes content that may have been sourced from the…Self-Perceived Influence
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student Well-BeingThis Self-Perceived Influence measure is designed to assess an individual's perception of their involvement and influence as a member of a team in juxtaposition to how team members interact with said individual. The assessment contains five items each of which is on a six-point scale that ranges…Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong reliability; validated with UK nursing students and later with Italian nurses and nursing students.
Cautions:Limited validation with U.S. students, K–12 students, and students outside health-professions education.
Topics: Student LearningTags: College readinessThe Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning is a self-report survey that measures students’ perceptions of their ability to manage and direct their own learning. It focuses on skills such as monitoring learning progress, identifying areas for improvement, and taking responsibility for learning.Self-Regulated Learning Interview Schedule
Expert NotesStrengths:Cautions:Topics: Student LearningThe Self-Regulated Learning Interview Schedule was created to seek students' response through the process of self-regulated learning. Note: The overview provided for this instrument includes content that may have been sourced from the instrument publisher's or author’s website (or other site…Self-Regulated Learning Scale
Expert NotesStrengths:Very strong reliability; validated with 840 students using four dimensions of self-regulated learning.
Cautions:Limited validation outside Turkish students and the original study context; not established for predicting academic achievement or evaluating instructional effectiveness.
Topics: Student LearningTags: College readinessThe Self-Regulated Learning Scale is a self-report survey that measures students’ use of strategies for managing and directing their own learning. The scale assesses four areas of self-regulated learning: forethought, control and regulation, monitoring, and evaluation and self-reflection. It is…