UI/UX DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATIONAL MOBILE APPLICATION FOR PROMOTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN

This research focuses on the design and development of a user-centered educational mobile application aimed at promoting positive behavior and academic success among children. The study was motivated by the growing concern over the limited availability of engaging, value-based educational tools that combine academic learning with moral instruction in the Nigerian context. The identified gap lies in the absence of locally relevant digital platforms that encourage both cognitive and behavioral development in children. The study adopted a UI/UX design methodology guided by human-centered design principles to ensure functionality, usability, and emotional engagement. The design process included need assessment, user research, low- and high-fidelity wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. Data were collected from teachers, parents, and children within Yola community schools to identify user needs, preferred learning styles, and behavioral motivators. These insights informed the creation of an interactive, story-driven interface inspired by familiar folktales and classroom settings. The design was implemented using Figma for interface structure and interaction flow. The prototype features major screens such as the Home Screen, Academic Lessons Screen, and Moral Story Screen optimized for simplicity, engagement, and intuitive navigation. Findings from usability evaluation revealed that the application prototype improved children’s motivation to learn and reinforced desirable behaviors through gamified rewards, visual storytelling, and feedback cues. The study concludes that combining educational content with behavioral reinforcement within a well-designed UI/UX framework can enhance both academic and moral development in young learners. It recommends further development of the prototype into a functional application integrating multimedia storytelling, progress tracking, and adaptive learning systems.