What could have most likely happened to make the education system change so drastically?
Answers
The graph you reference (the link btw is faulty) shows a reduction in percentage of students valuing school. I think this will require different reasoning from the concomittant loss in enthusiasm within each student over time, and i would like to attempt to address both issues if i may.
My start points are:
I am referring to Australian conditions and social context.
I acknowledge the SDT view of motivation based on three pillars of success, control and relatedness.
I distinguish between motivation to achieve, from motivation to learn, with a definite preference for the latter.
'Schooling' is defined as the cultural construct or 'reading' of the school environment extant in one's country.
Issue 1, the drop in numbers of students remaining engaged.
The reasons for this are multiple as Laura suggests. I would add that it is an additive effect, the slow, inexorable collection of negative influences within the school environment. Only those students who have high quality motivation can maintain it in the face of the collection of negatives over time.
Issue 2, the progressive loss in engagement/motivation within individuals or groups. The reason i distinguish this is because there are interesting patterns in groups, eg in Australia, the loss in motivation is greatest amongst indigenous and low SES students. My experience, not just general observations as an educator, but also from an action research project i undertook over 5 years where i changed some of the parameters within which the school worked, leads me to focus in particular on schooling parameters that speak to motivational pillars.
A key issue is readings of the meaning of success. Currently, students who, for various reasons, begin school behind the 8 ball socially or educationally are most likely to define themselves as unsuccessful at school from an early age, and soonest lose enthusiasm. So, when i had the opportunity in the A.R., i redefined the meaning of success by altering assessment, reporting processes and teacher language around success. Over the 5 years, i noted greater motivation in class, especially, but not only, amongst the lower achievers. In a nutshell, the definition of success was reframed from 'passing' against criteria, to 'progressing' with effort, a kind of personal best approach. There is much more to say, but hopefully this is enough to get the ideas across.
To your question: while there are multiple reasons for loss in enthusiasm, the one that is most interesting is self efficacy in schooling. Schooling, that collection of contexts, processes, procedures, relationships and language constructs is not designed well to maintain engagement/motivation because it negatively impacts on self efficacy, mindset, resilience etc. My hypothesis, on the basis of the action research, is that redesigning the processes, procedures, language used in school to positively impact on the student psychology/sociology would see a significant gain in erngagement. Unfortunately, what i think would work is unattractive politically, and hence unlikely to gain traction. That being said, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is currently looking to change at least some of the parameters, I am describing
Hope you understand
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