Some scholars of education have described Priestley as the most important English writer on education between the 17th-century John Locke and the 19th-century Herbert Spencer.
Beberapa cendekiawan di bidang pendidikan menggambarkan Priestley sebagai penulis Inggris paling penting dalam bidang pendidikan di antara penulis abad ke-17 John Locke dan penulis abad ke-19 Herbert Spencer.