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of a network structured like a spider’s web; “the junctures,or nodes, can be thought of as pieces of represented information,and threads between them as the connections orrelationships” (p. 67). Mathematical connections can alsobe described as components of a schema or connectedgroups of schemas within a mental network. Marshall(1995) posits that a defining feature of schema is thepresence of connections. The strength and cohesiveness ofa schema is dependent on connectivity of componentswithin the schema or between groups of schemata. Thismodel suggests prospective middle grades teachers learnmathematics through assimilating or connecting newinformation into their mental networks, forming new connection(s) between existing knowledge components,accommodating or reorganizing their schemata to addressperturbations in their knowledge structure and to correctmisconceptions.Although mathematical connections have been defined,described, or categorized in various ways, the commonthread is the idea of a mathematical connection as a linkor bridge between mathematical ideas. For the purposesof this study, a mathematical connection is a link (orbridge) in which prior or new knowledge is used to establishor strengthen an understanding of relationship(s)between or among mathematical ideas, concepts, strands,or representations.Mathematical understanding requires students to makeconnections between mathematical ideas, facts, procedures,and relationships (Hiebert & Carpenter, 1992; Ma,1999; Moschkovich, Schoenfeld, & Arcavi, 1993; Skemp,1989); mathematical connections are “tools” for problemssolving (NCTM, 1989, 2000). As Hodgson (1995) pointsout, “. . . the investigation of problem situations leads naturallyto the establishment and use of connections. . . . Connectionsare . . . integral components of successful problemsolving” (p. 18). Thus, prospective middle grades teachersmust be prepared to make connections between the contentto be learned and their students’ understanding.Although there are a few studies examining mathematicalconnections of prospective teachers at the elementaryand secondary level (Bartels, 1995; Donigan, 1999; Evitts,2005; Hau, 1993; Roddy, 1992;Wood, 1993), there is littleresearch on mathematical connections made by prospectiveteachers at the middle grades level. Traditionally, measurementsof teachers’ knowledge have been assessedusing variables such as coursework, degree(s) earned, certificationroutes, Praxis scores, and years taught. As aresult, the empirical evidence establishing a connectionbetween teachers’ mathematics knowledge of teaching andstudent achievement has been limited (Wilson, Floden, &
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