I don't know that the effectiveness of Physics education has changed that
much since the 50s. My freshman class, in 1959, have 70 physics majors;
only six graduated with degrees in physics, and one had transferred from
Math. I really don't believe that the other 65 were all to dumb to
succeed in physics.
All other factors aside, physics instruction is still failing to reach an
unacceptably large number of capable students.
Al