Understanding and applying CEFR-aligned descriptors for science cognitive discourse functions in CLIL classrooms

Abstract In content and language integrated learning (CLIL) contexts, disciplinary literacy highlights how language is used to think, reason, and communicate within subject disciplines. Cognitive discourse functions (CDFs) provide a framework for describing these language demands in Science and have recently been aligned with CEFR descriptors to support teaching and assessment. This mixed-methods study examines how pre-service and in-service teachers engage with CEFR-aligned CDF descriptors in CLIL Science education. Specifically, it explores (1) pre-service teachers’ self-perceived preparedness to teach CDFs and (2) in-service teachers’ interpretation of the descriptors when assessing student writing. Participants included 40 pre-service teachers from Spain and Croatia ( n = 20 per country) and four in-service teachers from Spain. Data were collected by means of a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring pre-service teachers’ confidence in teaching seven CDFs (Categorise, Define, Describe, Evaluate, Explain, Explore, and Report/Recount), and through think-aloud interviews in which in-service Science and English teachers assessed student texts using CEFR-aligned descriptors. Results indicate that pre-service teachers felt unevenly prepared across CDFs, with report/recount consistently perceived as the most challenging function. Croatian participants reported significantly higher levels of preparedness than their Spanish counterparts for several functions. The qualitative analysis revealed disciplinary differences in how descriptors were interpreted: language teachers prioritised linguistic accuracy and coherence, whereas Science teachers focused on content understanding and reasoning. Greater alignment between teachers was observed when assessing high-quality texts, while divergence emerged when either language or content performance was weaker. Overall, the findings point to the need for explicit teacher training in CDFs and greater interdisciplinary collaboration in assessment practice.