In their own words: how engineering transfer students discuss expectancies, values, and self-regulation when giving advice to peers

Understanding how students articulate their motivational beliefs and learning strategies in their own words offers valuable insights for designing effective academic supports, particularly for engineering community college students who must navigate complex academic and institutional transitions when transferring to a four-year institution. However, to date, limited research has examined how transfer students express these constructs outside of structured surveys or interviews. Therefore, in this study, we used peer-advice YouTube videos directed at prospective engineering transfer students to examine the ways in which transfer students communicate their motivational beliefs and learning strategies. Drawing on situated expectancy–value theory (SEVT) and self-regulated learning (SRL) frameworks, we conducted a thematic analysis of student-created videos to identify the ways in which engineering transfer students discussed expectancies for success, subjective task values, SRL strategies, and the intersections among these constructs. Regarding motivational beliefs, students most frequently described utility value, emphasizing learning strategies and non-learning academic preparation, followed by cost, particularly outside effort cost. Regarding SRL strategies, students emphasized goal setting and planning as well as seeking support from peers. Additionally, motivational beliefs and SRL strategies frequently co-occurred, highlighting how students intertwined motivation and self-regulation when providing advice to others. Results advance theory by showing how SEVT and SRL constructs operate dynamically using students' own words and can inform the development of interventions that support engineering transfer student success.