Dr. Timothy Cleary

Timothy J. Cleary, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of School Psychology at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and currently serves as Interim Associate Dean for Research. An internationally recognized scholar in educational and school psychology, Dr. Cleary’s work focuses on advancing theory, assessment, and intervention practices related to self‑regulated learning (SRL), motivation, and personal agency across educational, clinical, and performance contexts. Dr. Cleary’s scholarship bridges research and practice through the development of innovative, multi‑method assessment systems, professional development models, and technology‑enabled tools that support students’ academic resilience and self‑direction. His pioneering work on SRL microanalysis and multi-method, multi-source assessment strategies has significantly advanced understanding of the dynamic nature of regulatory functioning and its practical application in school and clinical settings. Dr. Cleary’s research also spans diverse contexts, including academic, athletic, medical, and clinical domains, bridging theory and practice to empower learners, educators, and families. He has authored and edited several influential books on SRL and is frequently invited to deliver keynote addresses and professional development workshops across the United States, South America, and Europe. His work has been supported by federal (DOE, IES, NSF) and foundation (Spencer) funding totaling over $12 million, and he has published extensively in top-tier journals and scholarly books. He is a Fellow of the American Education Research Association and leader within national research organizations committed to mentoring the next generation of scholars and practitioners.

Dr. Cleary has authored or co‑authored approximately 80 peer‑reviewed journal articles, numerous invited book chapters, and scholarly books published by leading academic presses. Selected publications include:

• Kitsantas, A., Cleary, T. J., DiBenedetto, M., & Hiller, S. (2025). Essentials of research methods for educators. Sage.
• Cleary, T. J., Zhang, R., Russo, M., & Slemp, J. (2024). A systematic review of the Self-Regulation Strategy Inventory (SRSI): Uses, applications, and psychometric characteristics across diverse contexts and populations. School Psychology Review, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2024.2344107
• Cleary, T. J., & Russo, M. R. (2024). A multi-level framework for assessing self-
• regulated learning in school contexts: Innovations, challenges, and future directions. Psychology in the Schools, 61(1), 80-102. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23035
• *Cleary, T. J., Slemp. J., Reddy, L., Alperin, A., Lui, A., Austin, A., Austin, A., & Cedar, T. (2023). Characteristics and uses of SRL microanalysis across diverse contexts, tasks, and populations: A systematic review. School Psychology Review, 52(2), 159-179, doi: 10.1080/2372966X.2020.1862627
• Cleary, T. J., Kitsantas, A., Peters-Burton, E., Lui, A., McLeod, K., Slemp, J., & Zhang, X. (2022). Professional development in self-regulated learning: Shifts and variations in teacher outcomes and approaches to implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103619
• Cleary, T. J. (2018). The self‑regulated learning guide: Teaching students to think in the language of strategies. Routledge.

Dr. Cleary’s translational research centers on advancing the science and practice of self‑regulated learning (SRL), motivation, and personal agency across academic, clinical, athletic, and performance contexts. His work emphasizes the development and validation of multi‑method and process‑oriented assessment approaches that capture how learners plan, monitor, and adapt their learning in real time. He is particularly interested in designing and studying interventions and professional development models that translate SRL theory into sustainable practice, with an emphasis on equity, scalability, and implementation in real‑world educational settings. A growing strand of his work focuses on technology‑enhanced and AI‑supported tools that provide diagnostic feedback and targeted supports to promote academic resilience and self‑directed learning.

Dr. Cleary’s expertise lies at the intersection of self‑regulated learning theory, assessment, and intervention design. He is widely recognized for his contributions to microanalytic and multi‑method assessment approaches, advanced research design, and quantitative methodologies used to examine learning processes and outcomes. His work spans school‑based, higher education, and professional training contexts, with particular strengths in motivation, self‑efficacy, learner engagement, and academic intervention for at‑risk populations. In addition, Dr. Cleary has extensive experience leading large‑scale, federally funded research initiatives and supporting grant development, program evaluation, and evidence‑based innovation in educational and psychological practice.

1. Professor of the Year for Excellence in Teaching – GSAPP, Rutgers University (2025)
2. Most Promising New Textbook Award – Essentials of Research Methods for Educators (Textbook & Academic Authors Association, 2025)
3. Top Scholar, Education and Social Sciences – Elsevier Author Citation Database (2024)
4. Barry J. Zimmerman Award for Outstanding Contributions – AERA Studying and Self‑Regulated Learning SIG (2020)
5. Chancellor’s Scholar Award – Rutgers University–New Brunswick (2017)

Graduate courses include:

• Advanced Statistics and Research Design
• Learning and Academic Intervention
• Psychoeducational Foundations of Learning Disabilities
• Self‑Regulated Learning: Assessment and Intervention
• Cognitive‑Behavioral Interventions in Schools

Dr. Cleary also serves extensively as a dissertation chair and mentor for doctoral students.