This qualitative study is aimed at investigating the attitudes of Estonian pre-school teachers towards the Estonian national pre-school curriculum. More specifically, the objectives of the study were to describe teachers’ experiences concerning the involvement in curriculum making process at institutional level.
During the last decade or more, researchers in Europe and elsewhere have pointed out the importance of teacher involvement in curriculum development process (e.g. Schwartz 2006; Craig 2009). These studies, qualitative as well as quantitative, mostly focus on primary and secondary school level teachers. This concern, however, is also relevant to pre-school educators, particularly in countries where their professional status and therefore, public expectations for them are equated with those imposed on teachers (e.g. Oberhuemer 2005; Urban 2008).
Estonia is one of the former communist Eastern European countries which joined EU in 2004. Taking the much discussed differences between these countries for granted (e.g. Scott 2002; Kotasek 1996), many similarities existed between these countries in the way their education changed after the fall of communism. Most relevant in the current context is that while all the curricula were extremely centralized and standardized during the Soviet times, leaving little room for teacher autonomy, then almost everywhere teachers were expected to become the main actors of curriculum after the fall of communism (Cerych 1997).
Research has cast doubt on the how much these expectations have materialized in reality. A recent study carried out in Estonia (Tuul et al 2011) suggests that while pre-school teachers generally welcome the emphasis on freedom and professional autonomy underlining the recent curricular changes in, more professional advice and assistance is necessary for teachers to realize their autonomy and to make informed choices. More research is need to elucidate whether and how much teachers perceive themselves as “curriculum makers” (so e.g. Craig 2009).
The Estonian national pre-school curriculum (2008) specifies the principles for the preparation of a curriculum for pre-school education institutions. On that basis, each pre-school education institution composes its own curriculum, taking into account local circumstances and demands.
The study tries to answer the questions: what curriculum-related knowledge and experience teachers have acquired; how do the teachers understand and describe their experiences as curriculum makers. 

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