In the context of a rapid increase in the volume of information flows that determine the daily activities of students, project and research activities acquire the significance of a key pedagogical mechanism for the formation of information competence as an integrative quality of the personality. The analysis, based on a comprehensive study of the dynamics of five components – identifying information needs, searching and selecting sources, critically evaluating information, structuring and synthesizing data, and presenting and disseminating results – demonstrates the significant advantage of systematically involving students in the full cycle of project-based research compared to traditional reproductive approaches. Quantitative indicators recorded on a sample of 486 participants over the period of 2021-2024 indicate the maximum sensitivity to such exposure of the components of critical assessment (an increase of up to 82,7% in the experimental group of students) and data structuring, which develop minimally in the control groups. A characteristic temporal unevenness has been identified: the identification of needs demonstrates the greatest growth at the initial stage, while analytical and synthetic skills are activated mainly at the intermediate and final phases, especially during public defense. A comparison of individual and group forms of activity organization reveals their complementary effect: the former intensifies autonomous analysis and criticism, while the latter promotes the development of integrative, communicative, and presentation skills. Correlation analysis confirms a stable relationship between the developmental potential and the duration of the project, the presence of an empirical component, the number of sources, and the fact of a public presentation. These findings open up opportunities for differentiated pedagogical design that ensures the balanced development of all aspects of information work in a knowledge-based economy, and highlight the high practical value of these materials for improving educational practices at various levels of education.