MATHEMATICAL CONNECTION ABILITY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE (An experiment on Junior High School students through Contextual Teaching and learning with Mathematical Manipulative)

Abstract

This sudy was intended to examine the role of prior mathematics ability (PMA) and contextual teaching approach with mathematical manipulative (CTL-MM) to the achievement of mathematical connection ability (MCA) and self-confidence (SC) of junior high school students. This study was part of a master thesis, and it was a sub-study of a Postgraduate Research Grant from DGHE in 2013 as well. The study was quasi-experimental with pre-test post-test control group design, involving 67 ninth-grade students from a junior high school in Bandung. The instruments of this study were an essay test on mathematical connection, a self-confidence scale, and a scale on students’ perception toward CTL-MM. The result of the study revealed that CTL-MM was better in improving students’ MCA, N-Gain of MCA, and SC. This was shown by students’ grades of MCA and SC which were better in the group taught by CTL-MM than students’ grades in the group taught by conventional teaching. While their grades of SC were better, the grades of MCTA were at low level. However, there was a moderate correlation between mathematical connection and self-confidence though students demonstrated positive perception toward the implementation of CTL-MM.