This sudy was intended to examine the role ofprior mathematics ability (PMA) andcontextual teaching approach withmathematical manipulative(CTL-MM) tothe achievement of mathematical connection ability(MCA)and self-confindence(SC)of junior high school student.This study was part ofa masterthesis andit was a sub-study ofa postgraduate Research Grant from DGHE in 2013 as well.The study was quasi-experimental with pre-testpost-test control group design involving 67 ninth-grade students from a junior high school in Bandung. The instruments of this study werean essaytest on mathematical connection,a self-confidence scale, and a scale onstudents' perception toward CTL-MM.The result of the study revealed that CTL-MM was better in on imporving 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,therewas a moderate correlation between mathematical connection and self-confidence thought students demonstrated positive perception toward the implementation of CTL-MM.