going backward to move forward: the past, present, and future of intersectionality in the field of english language teaching (elt): a systematic review

As educational inequality is one of the most critical issues facing current societies, intersectionality has become one of the most vibrant new social movements that advance a transformative social justice agenda. this theory discloses that inequality is multidimensional, and seeks a more just world; therefore, it is crucial to realize how scholars have un/done it. the objective of the current qualitative systematic review is to unpack the trends of intersectionality in the field of english language teaching (elt) to deepen our knowledge of inequalities. the authors critically appraised and reviewed relevant articles that met previously established criteria for inclusion through a search of educational databases. the results gave a comprehensive picture of existing research on the topic. drawing on intersectionality highlights the ways researchers have employed the concept theoretically, analytically, and methodologically, and innovative strategies to eliminate inequity within education. the summative content analysis of 29 educational articles adopting an intersectional lens established some patterns in this corpus including a historical overview, and core premises, along with the mis/definition and mis/application of this framework as a buzzword. finally, we concluded with some remarks concerning future research and invite researchers to take intersectionality more seriously as a critical robust framework to deconstruct and disrupt oppression in elt. education will continue to be a site of struggle for producing social injustices without an in-depth understanding of how social inequities work together to create unjust structures.