초등학생의 인지 발달 특성에 따른 모바일 교육 애플리케이션 디자인 스타일 선호에 관한 연구 - 스큐어모피즘과 플랫 디자인을 중심으로 -

This study examines how elementary school students’ preferences for interface design styles in mobile educational applications may vary across different stages of cognitive development. Focusing on skeuomorphic and flat design styles, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the effects of image recognizability, operational clarity, and emotional response on design preference behavior. A survey was conducted with 200 students from grades 1 to 6, and grade level, gender, and frequency of digital device use were included as moderating variables. The results indicate that lower-grade students tended to show relatively higher familiarity and emotional responses toward skeuomorphic design, whereas upper-grade students exhibited a tendency to prefer flat design in terms of perceived learning efficiency. Emotional response emerged as a key factor influencing design preference, while grade level and digital usage frequency showed moderating effects on selected paths. These findings highlight the importance of user-centered interface design that considers age-specific cognitive characteristics and provide empirical insights for the design of mobile educational content for children.