Background: The ecology of physical education is created through the interaction of three task systems: managerial task system, instructional task system, and the student social system. Within the ecological framework tasks are presented and task development is influenced by concepts such as ambiguity, risk, and accountability. Teachers' and students' perceptions of assessment tasks have been examined to some extent in physical education, however, they have not been investigated through an ecological lens. Purpose of study: The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students' and their teacher's perceptions of assessment through an ecological lens in order to investigate how assessment influenced both the teacher's and the students' agenda in the classroom. Setting: The research took place in a suburban middle school located in the western part of Massachusetts. Participants: Participants were an intact class of 36 seventh-grade students and their teacher. Research design: Qualitative case stu...