Charles MacArthur Recognized for Achievements in Special Education Research
Charles MacArthur, professor of special education and literacy in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, received the 2022 Special Education Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The award recognizes an individual whose research has significantly advanced the education of children and youth with exceptionalities.
Over his 35-year career, Dr. MacArthur has examined the effectiveness of teaching strategies for writing processes such as planning, drafting, and revising—conducting a systematic program of research on writing development and instruction with students with learning disabilities and other struggling writers. He was among the earliest scholars to apply cognitive theories of writing to the design and evaluation of instruction in writing strategies and conducted the first experimental study of writing strategy instruction in adult education. Nearly all his research, including 16 federally funded grants, has focused on the design and evaluation of instructional methods that have direct practical application, or theoretical studies that inform effective instruction.
A prolific scholar, researcher, and collaborator, Dr. MacArthur has authored 10 books, 39 chapters, and over 100 articles. In addition to sitting on several editorial boards and serving as the editor of prestigious journals such as The Journal of Writing Research and The Journal of Special Education, Dr. MacArthur is currently the principal investigator of a $3 million, 5-year project to evaluate Supporting Strategic Writers, a writing curriculum for college basic writing classes, which was developed under a prior grant.
“Through his instructional research, editorial work, and membership on national panels, he has had significant impacts on instructional practices and national policies and has contributed to improving the education of individual with exceptionalities,” said nominator Dr. Steve Graham, a Regents and the Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. “I know of no other scholar who has made such an impact at such a broad level to our understanding of writing and students with special needs and to improvement of instruction.”
Dr. MacArthur was recognized in January at the CEC Convention & Expo and 100th Anniversary Celebration in Orlando, Florida.