Yes, I think this is a much better approach to learning math with an application in mind. For example, for learning standard Model of particle physics, discussing general relativity and quantum mechanics, Roger Penrose's book "The Road To Reality" is an excellent guide. Unlike his contemporary Stephen Hawking's infamous book "A Brief History of Time" that avoided math equations like a plague, Penrose explains to you the necessary maths to understand the upcoming materials of the book in the first 300+ pages [1].

[1]The Road to Reality:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Reality