Unveiling Indonesian EFL students’ learning pathways: Experiences, challenges, and growth through student-created digital content for public speaking beyond the podium

Abstract

The integration of digital media into language learning has expanded opportunities for EFL learners to practice speaking in more authentic, creative and self-directed ways. Among these innovations, student-created digital content (SCDC) has gained attention as it enables learners to produce and share their own speaking performances. Although prior studies have reported positive outcomes of SCDC, most focus on learning outcomes rather than how it shapes students’ learning pathways, especially in public speaking. This gap is particularly evident in the Indonesian EFL university context, where public speaking anxiety, limited exposure and traditional instruction still dominate. To address this issue, the present study explores the learning pathways of Indonesian EFL college students by examining their experiences, challenges, and growth while creating digital speaking content. Grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory, Affective Filter Hypothesis, and Self-Determination Theory, this qualitative case study involved nine English education students enrolling in a semester-long public speaking course. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework. The findings reveal that students experienced SCDC as meaningful, empowering, and transformative, as it allowed personal expression and greater control over learning. While students confronted linguistic, technical, and psychological challenges, these difficulties became constructive steps that encouraged repeated practice, reflection, and development. This study also shows multidimensional growth, categorized into linguistic, digital, motivational, and identity development. Overall, this study concludes that SCDC functions not only as a speaking task but also as a holistic learning pathway that connects experiences, challenges and growth into a transformative learning process. Finally, this study provides significant implications for language teaching and learning.