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REFLECTIVE RESEARCH DIARY Name of Student Course Name of Professor University Date Reflective Research Diary Introduction Examining the link between theory and practice means understanding how the lessons taught in the classroom apply in the real world. In many cases, theory and practice exist as two distinct paradigms, especially where most theories fail to translate into actionable practice. Such a proposition can be proven through the Rwanda fieldwork research. For example, decent policies are created to resolve land problems in the country that, when studied, appear progressive and practical. However, these policies fail immensely, indicating that theory does not always translate into practice. For example, Rwanda’s plans have been pursued since 1994 and have shown no visible positive change across the three decades. In practice, the ambitions have produced mixed results. On the one hand, the country has successfully registered all land under its territory. Moreover, production output in the country and value addition in commercialised commodity chains improved drastically (Ansoms et al., 2018). Fieldwork can be essential in addressing the gap between theory and practice. The rationale is that fieldwork allows researchers to observe, interact, and collect data directly and in real-world settings. This reflective diary research builds on the Rwanda field study as a case study in the examination of the link between theory and practice. Most importantly, the primary focus will be on the problems that make it hard to translate theory into practice. Additionally, the reflection explores the use of fieldwork as a method or a tool for addressing the gap between theory and practice. Moreover, it is essential to question if things would have been different for the Rwandan case study if fieldwork had been used as the basis on which to formulate the land reform policies. Based on the fieldwork observations and available literature, it is evident that many theories are rigorously tested before they are universally accepted, and any gaps that exist emanate either from unique cases with different parameters or from problems with the implementation of the theory. Link between Theory and Practice Land reform and re-engineering policies in Rwanda present a special case for examining the links between theory and practice. Most notably, the case illustrates why something that seems good in theory ends up failing in practice. Consider, for example, how land reforms in rural Rwanda have been summarised by Ansoms (2009). Since the 1994 genocide, the political elites have had few links to rural society and the peasant way of life, and they see little room for small-scale peasant agriculture in the future of Rwanda’s economy. Despite this fact, it is the political elite that are spearheading land reforms in Rwanda. From a theoretical perspective, the ambitions for land reform seem plausible. For example, Rwanda seeks to transform the agricultural sector to drive more economic growth through competitive and commercial farm units. Additionally, Rwanda seeks to upgrade rural life by integrating modern techniques and strategies into local realities. These ambitions show a forward-thinking regime that is dedicated to transforming the social and economic situation of the country and moving from third-world to first-world status. Rwanda saw some positive results from the land reform policies, especially regarding land registration. However, the country struggles to keep track of all land transactions, especially in rural areas (Takeuchi and Marara, 2022). Additionally, Rwanda has yet to transform peasant agricultural practices or modernise farming techniques to make agriculture a successful driver of the country’s economic growth. In many cases, such policies being implemented across third-world countries, especially in Africa, only succeed in commodifying the customary lands without achieving the desired outcomes for the rural communities (Takeuchi, 2022). Therefore, the Rwandan problem serves as evidence that there exists a serious gap between theory and practice. Additionally, it raises the question of how to fill this gap and link theory to practice. Several scholars have attempted to address the question of filling the gap between theory and practice. For example, Masood et al. (2022) explain that incorporating theory into practice is not easy because it is a dialectical and complex process involving observation, scaffolding, reflection, and coordination between teaching and practice. According to Hutchings and Jarvis (2012), the relationship between theory and practice is also influenced by external forces, including economic, political, and social order concerns represented in policy interventions, globalisation, accountability, public scrutiny, and marketisation. These scholars also believe that practice has primacy over theory, meaning that practice is more than the sum of the parts. In other words, it is possible for practice to inform theory development in a learning process. In this regard, learning can be conceptualised as a reflection on practice. In the modern world, teaching and learning are regarded as pathways to careers and practices, which is an inverse relationship to that proposed by scholars, such as Orland-Barak and Yinon (2007) believing that learning comes from practice. Therefore, it can be argued that one of the reasons that theory fails in practice is that practitioners are attempting to translate theory into practice as opposed to using practice to build theories. The above argument can be easily demonstrated in the case of Rwandan land reforms by asking some critical questions. For example, one can question the extent to which the land reform policies were informed by practice. Such a question is critical because it is concerned with t...