A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: MATHEMATICAL CONNECTION ABILITY REVIEWED FROM SELF-EFFICACY

<p>The primary purpose of mathematics education is to prepare students to address real-life problems by applying mathematical knowledge and skills. A key competency in this regard is the ability to establish mathematical connections, since mathematics itself is a coherent discipline with interrelated concepts. Confidence in one’s own ability to complete tasks and achieve outcomes—commonly referred to as self-efficacy—is a psychological aspect that strongly influences learning success, particularly in linking mathematical ideas. This research aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) focusing on students’ mathematical connection skills from the perspective of self-efficacy. The SLR method involves identifying, analyzing, and synthesizing relevant academic works. In this study, 12 articles published between 2020 and 2025 were selected from the Google Scholar database using the Publish or Perish application with the keywords “mathematical connection abilities” and “student self-efficacy.” The findings reveal that: (1) self-efficacy significantly influences students’ mathematical connection skills; (2) differences in connection ability are evident depending on students’ levels of self-efficacy; and (3) most studies during this period applied either qualitative or quantitative approaches, with the majority conducted at the junior high school level.</p>