It has been discussed that emotional investment in the educational process generates positive cognitive outcomes. This correlation addresses a core tenet of the three learning domains, Cognitive, Affective, and Psycho-Motor where all three constitute separate areas of one single learning process. And as such, one would expect to be able to measure this correspondence between the three domains. This study attempts to test the hypothesis of a correlation between the cognitive and affective domains in a cohort of in-service science teachers. Specifically, we seek to assess whether the affective posture towards school sciences shows an association with their cognitive competence in biology, chemistry and physics. We used partial least square regression analysis to examine the data, and the results indicate a direct correlation between the affective and cognitive domains. Teachers who scored higher in cognitive tests for the three sciences also had a more positive attitude towards them. These findings provide strong empirical evidence in support of the theoretical principle that the three domains are separate but interconnected components of the educational process.

Attitudes and behaviours towards the natural environment have been extensively studied in certain cultural settings during the last 40 years. In education, the teacher's ability to grasp the fundamentals of an academic subject may define his or her own attitudes towards that discipline; certainly the reverse is also valid. The correlations between affective and cognitive domains appear to play a significant role in teaching-learning dynamics. In this study we seek to assess whether the affective posture towards school sciences of a cohort of teachers in rural communities shows an association with their cognitive competence in the disciplines. The results of this study provide evidence that there is a statistically significant correlation between the cognitive and affective domains for in-service teachers. The affective domain, therefore, could serve as a predictor for cognitive competency and self-efficacy expectancies with respect to both content and career fulfilment.