Theory is abstraction. It is an understanding that is distilled of the inconveniences of reality to allow us to make predictions about that reality.
Most engineering degrees start with the theory. Vast columns of theories stacked one on top of each other in piles called things like
Mechanics 1
Mechanics 2
Mechanics 3
And then at some point in that journey we ask students to apply that theory in a real world context.
What if we flipped that model?
Start with observation — the opposite of abstraction. Discover the inconveniences of reality to allow us to find out how the world actually works.
Observation 1
Observation 2
Observation 3
Of course that leads to an equally lopsided model, uninformed by the telesecoped sum of thinking available to theoretician.
Of course, the answer lies some where in the middle, sprinkled with a fair dose of application.
Observe
Theorise
Apply
Observe
Theorise
Apply
Etc
It is surprising how radical this suggestion is.