The purpose of this paper is to organize and critique the theoretical work done so far on the "relation between the cognitive and the emotional in science learning" and suggest possible directions for research that takes into consideration this relation. In light of the enduring negative effect of much school science on students' emotional reactions, it is important to evaluate critically and re-consider the philosophical ground of existing conceptual frameworks with respect to their assumptions about the relation between the cognitive and the emotional. Three perspectives are discussed and compared in terms of: how they theorize the relationship between emotion and cognition in science learning, and what implications they suggest for science pedagogy. The first perspective is embedded within a cognitivist framework and draws on conceptual change theory (CCT), a theory that still has a significant influence on research in science learning. The second perspective is informed by another influential theory in science education research: constructivism and in particular, the idea of social and cultural construction of learning. Finally, the third perspective draws on recent poststructural insights with an emphasis on the constitutive role played by language, the body and discursive practices in the construction and experience of learning.