Анотація: (English) Contemporary secondary education increasingly emphasises the development of students' capacity for meaningful learning, critical information analysis, and independent knowledge construction. This article examines project-based learning (PBL) as a pedagogical approach with significant potential for fostering learner autonomy, analytical thinking, and metacognitive skills within humanities subjects at the secondary school level. Drawing on a review of research in project-based and problem-oriented learning, as well as reflective analysis of pedagogical practice, the paper describes a staged model for organising project work within classroom time. Particular attention is given to the teacher's role as facilitator and to the significance of formative assessment and structured reflection throughout the learning process. The findings indicate that PBL, when implemented as a sequential, supported, and reflective process, promotes the formation of durable learning strategies, the development of student independence, and deeper engagement with humanities content. The practical contribution of the article lies in a step-by-step pedagogical model grounded in teacher reflection and adaptable to standard school curricula.