How Podcasts Shape Practitioner Reflection: Is this changing in an AI-Driven world?

Podcasts have emerged as a powerful tool for educator reflection,
providing emotionally rich, flexible, and immersive spaces that support
'reflection-in-action' and foster professional community. They also serve
as dialogic sites of inquiry, enabling educators to engage meaningfully
with lived experiences and shared challenges. However, in today’s
algorithmically governed digital landscape, particularly with the growing
role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the potential of podcasts for deep,
critical engagement is increasingly shaped and sometimes constrained by
automated content curation and compression. This shift risks narrowing
pedagogical horizons, reinforcing echo chambers, and eroding the
affective depth critical for transformative reflective practice. This think
piece explores the unique affordances of podcasting for professional
learning while highlighting the emerging tension between technological
convenience and the need for authentic, transformative reflection. The
authors argue that educators face a double imperative: to leverage the
benefits of AI while actively cultivating critical digital literacy to sustain
reflective agency in an increasingly mediated learning environment.