Disclosed is a resin composition which comprises a catalyst precursor for electroless plating to form an electromagnetic wave shielding layer. The resin composition comprises an organic polymer resin, a polyfunctional monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated bond, a photoinitiator, a silver organic complex precursor as a catalyst precursor, and an organic solvent. Further disclosed are methods for forming metal patterns using the resin composition and metal patterns formed by the methods. The methods comprise forming a pattern, reducing the pattern, and electroless plating the reduced pattern. A patterned layer of the catalyst formed using the resin composition is highly adhesive, a loss of the catalyst during a wet process is substantially prevented, and an increase in plating rate leads to the formation of a uniform, fine metal pattern after electroless plating. Electromagnetic wave shielding materials comprising the metal pattern can be used in the formation of films for shielding electromagnetic waves.