<![CDATA[Research on gender representation in English-language textbooks has examined various aspects, yet the distribution and overlap of themes across publications have not been systematically mapped. This study aims to map the characteristics and scope of existing research, identify the distribution of five major themes, and examine thematic overlap at the study level. Using a systematic literature review, 45 publications from 2007–2024 were selected from 358 identified records. Study characteristics were analyzed descriptively, and research focuses were coded thematically, allowing each study to receive multiple codes. The mapping shows that games and leisure activities were the most frequently examined theme (21 studies; 46.7%), followed by visual representation (20; 44.4%), language and terminology (16; 35.6%), professional, occupational, and work-related roles (13; 28.9%), and cultural and regional contexts (8; 17.8%). Twenty-one studies addressed more than one theme, including two that covered all five. Differences in theme frequency reflect research attention, while thematic overlap indicates which aspects were examined together within studies. Neither measure establishes the prevalence, direction, or severity of gender bias in textbooks. This review offers a thematic framework that distinguishes content dimensions from cultural and regional contexts, providing a basis for more systematic and context-sensitive textbook evaluation. A synthesis of the substantive findings of individual studies is needed to draw conclusions about patterns of gender representation.]]>
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