Using Algebra Tiles to Enhance Grade 10 Learners' Understanding of and Ability to Represent and Manipulate Algebraic Expressions

Despite the significance of Mathematics that cannot be underrated, which is why it is a compulsory discipline world-wide, there are challenges in the teaching and learning of the subject to which research must still find solutions. Algebra is one of the areas of school Mathematics that learners find more abstract and difficult to understand, unlike other areas, e.g. arithmetic or geometry. One way to make Algebra more concrete is to incorporate manipulatives into its teaching and learning process. The main objective of this quasi-experimental study, using a non-equivalent group design, was to assess how Algebra tiles can mediate the enhancement of learners’ understanding of Algebra by comparing lessons in which Algebra tiles were used with the traditional instruction without manipulatives. Both control and experimental groups sat for a pre-test before teaching was done over a two weeks’ time period. Then in the last lesson, all participants wrote a post-test. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the overall performance between the two groups, the within-group comparisons between the pre- and post-test scores of the experimental group revealed that the experimental group made statistically significant improvements between the pre- and post-test means. This statistically significant improvement was an indication that Algebra tiles had an impact on these learners’ understanding of algebraic concepts and their ability to represent or manipulate algebraic expressions and solve algebraic equations. The paper concludes that when learners are taught Algebra with tiles, their understanding of algebraic concepts improves. Recommendations for teaching and research are given.