I don't know. There are certainly some base courses where they are teaching a methodology; but I think a lot of this is up to drive as well. In undergrad I majored in Chemistry and Physics with minors in Math, Botany, and Political Science. I really only felt that in gen ed classes was there not a lot of effort placed in critical thinking and problem solving. In physics, the ideal is critical thinking and problem solving. It's not about x=xo+vot+1/2at^2. That formula can be derived so long as you understand the system you're analyzing. In fact it was always easy to find the kids who only wanted to plug and chug because they would often use the wrong equations and refused to actually understand the physics instead. In physics it's concepts and thinking, all formulas fall out easily if you know it.
In undergrad I worked on particle accelerators, super conductors, ultra high vacuum systems, I made my own experiment for the p-chem course, etc. Now I have a PhD, what did I learn? I know a **** ton about physics, I'm published in peer-reviewed journals, I've given countless talks and poster presentations, I understand how optics work, I can make complex electrical circuits and design printed circuit boards, I can build ANYTHING with a lathe and a mill, I can program in several langauages. I built a lab from ground up to do my PhD research including lasers, electronics, mechanics, etc.
So is there no "real world" application in that? Hell no. In fact, one of the reasons why I can strip a motorcycle down to the frame and build it again was that I had the problem solving capabilities to sit down by myself and learn how to do it. I didn't need to go to school (you can pay someone to teach you how an engine works if you need I suppose). I fixed our old microwave because I understand electronics.
I think that for some of the more anti-intellectual folk out there they cannot see higher education as yielding anything important and think that all we do can never be applied to the real world. But even base research is applicable and you wouldn't have the tech you have today without it.