Mapping research on Indonesia’s government mathematics textbooks: current insights and potential directions

Education policy must prioritize research-driven mathematics textbook development to ensure rigorous alignment with curriculum reforms. The purpose of this study was to investigate research trends on Indonesian Government Provided (IGP) mathematics textbooks. This literature review examined the Science and Technology Index (SINTA), an Indonesian research database that includes researchers, institutions and journals in Indonesia. The use of several frameworks helped to capture the nature of research in this area. First, we classified textbooks based on their role as either research objects, dependent variables, or independent variables. Then, we applied content, theoretical, and problem analysis. In general, the number of studies on IGP mathematics textbooks has fluctuated from 2016 to 2024. Furthermore, they have focused on specific mathematics subjects and educational levels. Interestingly, the results also showed that all the studies on IGP mathematics textbooks treated them as a research subject. Their distribution in terms of content, theoretical and problem analysis varied considerably. The impact of this study is not just academic; it is a pragmatic step to ensure that research-driven textbook regulations translate into measurable improvements in learning materials.