Statement of purpose
This paper describes a research study in the field of mathematics teaching and learning. The study investigated how the use of concrete mathematics manipulatives impacted student achievement in learning algebra, specifically factoring second-degree polynomials. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) in their Principals and Standards for School Mathematics emphasizes both “Representation of Mathematical Concepts” and “Making Connections” as two of the ten standards in mathematics teaching that illustrate the connections between algebra and geometry (NCTM, p. 37).