Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review

Farida Nurani; Ismiatun Ismiatun; Wike Wike; Niken Lastiti Veri Anggaini; Anita Tri Widyawati; Wan Satirah Wan Mohd Saman; Aulia Puspaning Galih; Noppawan Phuengpha

doi:10.20897/femenc/18843

Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics

Review Article

2026, 10(2), Article No: 10

Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review

Farida Nurani ¹ ^* , Ismiatun Ismiatun ¹, Wike Wike ¹, Niken Lastiti Veri Anggaini ¹, Anita Tri Widyawati ², Wan Satirah Wan Mohd Saman ³, Aulia Puspaning Galih ⁴, Noppawan Phuengpha ⁵

¹ Brawijaya University, INDONESIA ² Khon Kaen University, THAILAND ³ Universiti Teknologi MARA, MALAYSIA ⁴ Eötvös Loránd University, HUNGARY ⁵ Burapha University, THAILAND
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

Published in Volume 10 Issue 2: 24 Jun 2026

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Abstract

Indonesia's persistent literacy gap — reflected in low PISA and PIRLS rankings — signals a structural failure to leverage the family, particularly mothers, as the primary site of children's literacy development. Grounded in an integrated theoretical framework drawing on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, Taylor's and Auerbach's family literacy theory, and Bourdieu's cultural capital theory, this study employs a methodological integration of Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis to examine the role of mothers in children's literacy education and to formulate an evidence-based family literacy policy for the Indonesian context. Bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications (2015–2025) using Biblioshiny/Bibliometrix reveals a multidisciplinary convergence of health, psychology, and education in family literacy research, a strong geographical concentration of knowledge production in high-income countries, and a field-wide theoretical transition toward informal learning ecosystems — all patterns with direct policy implications. SLR synthesis of empirical studies identifies three core mechanisms through which mothers contribute to children's literacy: cognitive-linguistic scaffolding, socio-emotional support, and cultural-identity mediation through translanguaging and intergenerational practices. Integrating both analytical layers, this study proposes a five-pillar Evidence-Based Family Literacy Policy model — encompassing collaborative ecosystem development, parental capacity strengthening, literacy access and infrastructure, language and cultural preservation, and empirical monitoring and evaluation — in which each pillar is explicitly traceable to specific bibliometric and SLR findings. This model offers a contextually adaptive, empirically grounded policy framework applicable to Indonesia and other developing countries facing comparable literacy challenges

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram

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APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Nurani et al., 2026)
Reference: Nurani, F., Ismiatun, I., Wike, W., Anggaini, N. L. V., Widyawati, A. T., Wan Mohd Saman, W. S., Galih, A. P., & Phuengpha, N. (2026). Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(2), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Nurani F, Ismiatun I, Wike W, et al. Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(2), 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

Chicago

In-text citation: (Nurani et al., 2026)
Reference: Nurani, Farida, Ismiatun Ismiatun, Wike Wike, Niken Lastiti Veri Anggaini, Anita Tri Widyawati, Wan Satirah Wan Mohd Saman, Aulia Puspaning Galih, and Noppawan Phuengpha. "Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review". Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics 2026 10 no. 2 (2026): 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

Harvard

In-text citation: (Nurani et al., 2026)
Reference: Nurani, F., Ismiatun, I., Wike, W., Anggaini, N. L. V., Widyawati, A. T., Wan Mohd Saman, W. S., . . . Phuengpha, N. (2026). Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(2), 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

MLA

In-text citation: (Nurani et al., 2026)
Reference: Nurani, Farida et al. "Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review". Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, vol. 10, no. 2, 2026, 10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Nurani F, Ismiatun I, Wike W, Anggaini NLV, Widyawati AT, Wan Mohd Saman WS, et al. Mothers, literacy, and policy: A bibliometric and systematic review. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(2):10. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18843

Keywords

literacy policy, family-based literacy, mothers’ role, children’s education

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