<![CDATA[ABSTRACT Students’ familiarity with digital technology is not always accompanied by optimal use of digital media as a means of learning and creativity development. This condition provides an opportunity for schools to direct students’ media habits toward educational activities through the use of podcasts. This study aims to analyze the reasons for selecting podcasts as an educational medium, forms of student involvement, and their implications for students’ knowledge and interest in digital content creation at SMA Negeri 1 Seririt. This qualitative study employed a descriptive narrative approach involving 10 informants, consisting of teachers and students, including one key informant, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation using instruments developed by the researchers and reviewed through expert judgment. Data were analyzed through data selection, categorization, presentation, and conclusion drawing, with data credibility established through source and technique triangulation. The findings show that podcasts were selected because of their flexibility, alignment with students’ digital habits, and ability to facilitate involvement from topic selection to publication. These activities fostered students’ knowledge, creative interest, creativity, communication, media production, collaboration, and critical attitudes toward digital information. Thus, podcasts serve as participatory learning spaces that integrate digital literacy with authentic experiences in producing educational content. ABSTRAK Kedekatan siswa dengan teknologi digital belum selalu diikuti pemanfaatan media secara optimal sebagai sarana belajar dan pengembangan kreativitas. Kondisi ini membuka peluang bagi sekolah untuk mengarahkan kebiasaan bermedia siswa ke aktivitas edukatif melalui penggunaan podcast. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis alasan pemilihan podcast sebagai media edukasi, bentuk keterlibatan siswa, serta implikasinya terhadap wawasan dan minat dalam kreasi konten digital di SMA Negeri 1 Seririt. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif naratif yang melibatkan 10 informan, terdiri atas guru dan siswa, termasuk satu informan kunci, yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling. Data dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara semi-terstruktur, dan dokumentasi menggunakan instrumen yang dikembangkan peneliti dan ditelaah melalui expert judgment. Data dianalisis melalui pemilahan, pengelompokan, penyajian, dan penarikan kesimpulan dengan keabsahan data melalui triangulasi sumber dan teknik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa podcast dipilih karena fleksibel, sesuai dengan kebiasaan digital siswa, dan memungkinkan keterlibatan dalam pemilihan topik hingga publikasi. Kegiatan tersebut mengembangkan wawasan, minat berkreasi, kreativitas, komunikasi, produksi media, kolaborasi, dan sikap kritis terhadap informasi digital. Dengan demikian, podcast menjadi ruang belajar partisipatif yang mengintegrasikan literasi digital dengan pengalaman produksi konten edukatif.]]>
