In its broadest sense, pragmatism could be said to be the philosophical orientation of all action research. Action research is characterized by research, action, and participation grounded in democratic principles and guided by the aim of social improvement. Furthermore, action research is an active process of inquiry that does not admit separation between action and reflection or theory and practice. This paper considers the potential of action research informed specifically by Deweyan pragmatism as a mode of inquiry. The pragmatic question of the usefulness of this approach to research in the social sciences is explored.